Asked by: Sherif Priyadarshi
medical health infectious diseases

What are narrow and broad spectrum antibiotics?

18
Narrow-spectrum antibiotics are active against a select group of bacterial types. Broad-spectrum antibiotics are active against a wider number of bacterial types and, thus, may be used to treat a variety of infectious diseases.


Also to know is, what is the difference between narrow and broad spectrum antibiotics?

Narrow-spectrum antibiotics are only effective against a narrow range of bacteria, whereas broad-spectrum antibiotics are effective against a broad range of bacteria.

Likewise, why is it better to use narrow spectrum antibiotics? Advantages. Narrow-spectrum antibiotic allow to kill only those bacteria species that are unwanted (i.e. causing disease). As such, it leaves the beneficial bacteria unaffected, hence minimizing the collateral damage effect on the microbiota.

In this manner, what is meant by narrow spectrum antibiotics?

Medical Definition of narrow-spectrum : effective against only a limited range of organisms narrow-spectrum antibiotics effective only against gram-negative bacteria — compare broad-spectrum.

What are broad spectrum antibiotics used for?

Broad spectrum antibiotics. Antibiotic that acts against a wide range of disease-causing bacteria and used for For drug resistant bacteria, In super-infections and empirically prior to identifying the causative bacteria.

Related Question Answers

Sarka Guilbaud

Professional

What is one disadvantage of using broad spectrum antibiotics?

Although powerful, broad-spectrum antibiotics pose specific risks, particularly the disruption of native, normal bacteria and the development of antimicrobial resistance.

Dorothee Abril

Professional

Is penicillin narrow or broad spectrum?

Examples of narrow-spectrum antibiotics are the older penicillins (penG), the macrolides and vancomycin. Examples of broad-spectrum antibiotics are the aminoglycosides, the 2nd and 3rd generation cephalosporins, the quinolones and some synthetic penicillins.

Pancracia Juli

Professional

Why would a doctor want to use a narrow spectrum antibiotic?

Or the doctor may switch you to a “narrow-spectrum” antibiotic, which kills just one type of bacteria. It also helps to prevent antibiotic overuse. Antibiotic overuse causes resistance. Broad-spectrum antibiotics are more likely to lead to bacteria that resist drugs.

Godelieve Teigeler

Explainer

Is tetracycline a narrow or broad spectrum?

Tetracyclines are broad-spectrum agents, exhibiting activity against a wide range of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, atypical organisms such as chlamydiae, mycoplasmas, and rickettsiae, and protozoan parasites.

Emely Tavio

Explainer

Which is better broad spectrum or narrow spectrum?

Narrow-spectrum antibiotics perform equally well or better than broad-spectrum ones, which can kill off more of the “good” bacteria in your body and cause other bacteria to become resistant to those antibiotics in the future.

Bula Makhinov

Explainer

Is amoxicillin narrow or broad spectrum?

They classified amoxicillin and cephalexin as narrow-spectrum antibiotics, and all others (cefuroxime, amoxicillin-clavulanate, sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, cefdinir, cefixime and ciprofloxacin) as broad-spectrum antibiotics.

Kendrick Antoñanzas

Pundit

Why are narrow spectrum antibiotics preferred over broad spectrum antibiotics?

Narrow spectrum antibiotics are used for the specific infection when the causative organism is known and will not kill as many of the normal microorganisms in the body as the broad spectrum antibiotics. So, It has less ability to cause superinfection.

Domina Krollpfeifer

Pundit

What is the strongest antibiotic for bacterial infection?

Popular Bacterial Infection Drugs
  • amoxicillin$9.15.
  • Augmentin (amoxicillin / potassium clavulanate)$17.70.
  • Keflex (cephalexin)$11.87.
  • Cleocin (clindamycin)$35.15.
  • Zithromax (azithromycin)$11.92.
  • Acticlate (doxycycline hyclate)$11.68.
  • Morgidox (doxycycline hyclate)$11.68.
  • Vibramycin (doxycycline hyclate)$11.68.

Ludie Berolegui

Pundit

Is kanamycin broad or narrow spectrum?

In contrast, narrow-spectrum antibiotics are only effective against Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteria. Amikacin Sulfate is broad spectrum aminoglycoside antibiotic derived from its counterpart kanamycin A.

Gora Mugaire

Pundit

Is ciprofloxacin broad or narrow spectrum?

Ciprofloxacin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic of the fluoroquinolone class. It is active against some Gram-positive and many Gram-negative bacteria. It functions by inhibiting DNA gyrase, and a type II topoisomerase, topoisomerase IV, necessary to separate bacterial DNA, thereby inhibiting cell division.

Celedonio Kotyra

Pundit

Is metronidazole broad or narrow spectrum?

Flagyl, known generically as metronidazole or by the brand name Protostat, is an antibacterial drug that is classified as a broad-spectrum antibiotic. 1? Metronidazole is used to treat anaerobic bacterial infections or protozoal infections.

Khadre Yaffa

Teacher

Are macrolides broad or narrow spectrum?

The macrolides are bacteriostatic antibiotics with a broad spectrum of activity against many gram-positive bacteria. Currently available macrolides are well tolerated, orally available and widely used to treat mild-to-moderate infections.

Rut Paulis

Teacher

What is narrow and broad spectrum?

Narrow-spectrum antibiotics target a few types of bacteria. Broad-spectrum antibiotics target many types of bacteria. Both types work well to treat infections. But using broad-spectrum antibiotics when they're not needed can create antibiotic-resistant bacteria that are hard to treat.

Marga Buchberger

Teacher

Is vancomycin a narrow spectrum antibiotic?

Vancomycin. Vancomycin is a narrow-spectrum bactericidal antibiotic used primarily for treatment of serious staphylococcal infections. It is the alternative therapy of choice when the penicillins and cephalosporins cannot be used.

Siricio Yellin

Teacher

Is bacitracin broad or narrow spectrum?

Narrow spectrum antibacterials have limited activity and are primarily only useful against particular species of microorganisms. For example, glycopeptides and bacitracin are only effective against Gram-positive bacteria, whereas polymixins are usually only effective against Gram negative bacteria.

Aguasantas Foche

Reviewer

Why do broad spectrum antibiotics cause resistance?

The antibiotic action is an environmental pressure; those bacteria which have a mutation allowing them to survive will live on to reproduce. Overuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics, such as second- and third-generation cephalosporins, greatly hastens the development of methicillin resistance.

Jodee Tomkiewic

Reviewer

Is amoxicillin broad spectrum?

Clinical studies using amoxicillin show that amoxicillin is the least resistant compared to clarithromycin or metronidazole against H. Amoxicillin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that is effective against bacteria both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria [3] .

Naiara Wirtl

Reviewer

Is tetracycline a narrow spectrum antibiotic?

Tetracyclines are among the first antibiotics which became available, and are still widely used. They are broad-spectrum antibiotics and have bacteriostatic activity by inhibiting protein synthesis. Chlortetracycline, doxycycline, minocycline, oxytetracycline, and tetracycline belong to this group.

Analyn Serejin

Reviewer

What is selective toxicity?

Selective toxicity refers to the ability of the drug to targets sites that are relative specific to the microorganism responsible for infection. Sometimes these sites are unique to the microorganism or simply more essential to survival of the microorganism than to the host.

Co-Authored By:

EveryThingWhat Staff Editor

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28th April, 2020

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