Term
|
Definition
Having the ability to destroy or interfere with the
development of a living organism. The term is used most
commonly to refer to antibacterial drugs. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
One of two types of topical antimicrobial agents;
a chemical that inhibits the growth and reproduction of
microorganisms without necessarily killing them. Antiseptics
are also called static agents. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
| Antibiotics that kill bacteria. |
|
|
Term
| Bacteriostatic antibiotics |
|
Definition
Antibiotics that do not actually kill
bacteria but rather inhibit their growth. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
The designation for a broad class of antibiotics
that includes four subclasses: penicillins, cephalosporins,
carbapenems, and monobactams; so named because of the
beta-lactam ring that is part of the chemical structure of all
drugs in this class. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Any of a group of enzymes produced by bacteria
that catalyze the chemical opening of the crucial betalactam
ring structures in beta-lactam antibiotics. |
|
|
Term
| Beta-lactamase inhibitors |
|
Definition
Medications combined with certain
penicillin drugs to block the effect of beta-lactamase
enzymes. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
The establishment and growth of microorganisms
on the skin, open wounds, or mucous membranes, or
in secretions without causing an infection. |
|
|
Term
| Community-associated infection |
|
Definition
| An infection that is acquired by persons who have not been hospitalized or had a medical procedure recently. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
| The administration of antibiotics based on known results of culture and sensitivity testing identifying the pathogen causing infection. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
One of two types of topical antimicrobial agents;
a chemical applied to nonliving objects to kill microorganisms. Also called cidal agents. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
The administration of antibiotics based on
the practitioner’s judgment of the pathogens most likely to
be causing an apparent infection; it involves the presumptive
treatment of an infection to avoid treatment delay before
specific culture information has been obtained. |
|
|
Term
| Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency |
|
Definition
An inherited disorder in which the red blood cells are partially
or completely deficient in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, a critical enzyme in the metabolism of glucose. Certain medications can cause hemolytic anemia in patients with this disorder. This is an example of a host factor related to drug therapy. |
|
|
Term
| Health care–associated infection |
|
Definition
| An infection that is acquired during the course of receiving treatment for another condition in a health care facility. The infection is not present or incubating at the time of admission; also known as a nosocomialinfection. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Factors that are unique to a particular patient that
affect the patient’s susceptibility to infection and response to
various antibiotic drugs. Examples include a low neutrophil
count or a lack of immunoglobulins in the blood that carry
antibodies. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Invasions and multiplications of microorganisms in
body tissues. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Microscopic living organisms (also called microbes). |
|
|
Term
| Prophylactic antibiotic therapy |
|
Definition
| Antibiotics taken before anticipated exposure to an infectious organism in an effort to prevent the development of infection. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
A potentially-necrotizing inflammatory
bowel condition that is often associated with antibiotic
therapy; often caused by the bacteria Clostridium
difficile. A more general term that is also used is antibioticassociated colitis. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
A common genetic host factor in which the
rate of metabolism of certain drugs is reduced. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Generally refers to blood levels below
therapeutic levels due to insufficient dosing. Also refers to
antibiotic treatment that is ineffective in treating a given infection. Possible causes include inappropriate drug therapy,
insufficient drug dosing, and bacterial drug resistance. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
(1) An infection occurring during antimicrobial
treatment for another infection, resulting from overgrowth
of an organism not susceptible to the antibiotic used.
(2) A secondary microbial infection that occurs in addition
to an earlier primary infection, often due to weakening of
the patient’s immune system function by the first infection. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Substances that can interfere with normal prenatal
development and cause one or more developmental abnormalities in the fetus. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Referring to antibiotic therapy that is given in
sufficient doses so that the concentration of the drug in the
blood or other tissues renders it effective against specific bacterial pathogens. |
|
|
Term
| Concentration-dependent killing |
|
Definition
A property of some antibiotics, especially aminoglycosides, whereby achieving high plasma drug concentrations, even if briefly, results in the most effective bacterial kill (compare time-dependent
killing). |
|
|
Term
| Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) |
|
Definition
| A group of betalactamase enzymes produced by some organisms that makes the organism resistant to all beta-lactam antibiotics (penicillins and cephalosporins) and aztreonam. Patients who are infected by such organisms must be in contact isolation;proper handwashing is key to preventing the spread of these organisms. |
|
|
Term
| Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) |
|
Definition
| An enzyme first found in isolates of the bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae that renders the organism resistant to all carbapenem antibiotics as well as beta-lactam antibiotics and monobactams. Such organisms produce a very serious resistant infection. |
|
|
Term
| Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) |
|
Definition
| A strain of Staphylococcus aureus that is resistant to the beta-lactamase penicillin known as methicillin. Originally, the abbreviation MRSA referred exclusively to methicillin-resistant S. aureus. It is now used more commonly to refer to strains of S. aureus that are resistant to several drug classes, and therefore, depending on the context or health facility, it may also stand for “multidrug-resistant S. aureus.” |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
One millionth of a gram. Be careful not to confuse
it with milligram (one thousandth of a gram), which is
one thousand times greater than 1 microgram. Confusion
of these two units sometimes results in drug dosage errors. |
|
|
Term
| Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) |
|
Definition
| A laboratory measure of the lowest concentration of a drug needed to kill a certain standardized amount of bacteria. |
|
|
Term
| Multidrug-resistant organisms |
|
Definition
| Bacteria that are resistant to one or more classes of antimicrobial drugs. These include multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase–producing organisms, and Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase–producing organisms. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Toxicity to the kidneys, often drug induced
and manifesting as compromised renal function; usually
reversible upon withdrawal of the offending drug. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Toxicity to the ears, often drug induced and manifesting
as varying degrees of hearing loss that is likely to be
permanent. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
A period of continued bacterial suppression
that occurs after brief exposure to certain antibiotic
drug classes, especially aminoglycosides (discussed in this
chapter) and carbapenems (see Chapter 38). The mechanism
of this effect is uncertain. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A necrotizing inflammatory bowel condition that is often associated with antibiotic therapy. Some antibiotics (e.g., clindamycin) are more likely to produce it than others. More commonly referred to as antibiotic-associated colitis or Clostridium difficile diarrhea or C. difficile infection. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Drug interaction in which the bacterial killing
effect of two antibiotics given together is greater than the
sum of the individual effects of the same drugs given alone. |
|
|
Term
| Therapeutic drug monitoring |
|
Definition
| Ongoing monitoring of plasma drug concentrations and dosage adjustment based on these values as well as other laboratory indicators such as kidney and liver function test results; it is often carried out by a pharmacist in collaboration with medical, nursing, and laboratory staff. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A property of most antibiotic classes whereby prolonged high plasma drug concentrations are required for effective bacterial kill (compare concentrationdependent killing). |
|
|
Term
| Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) |
|
Definition
| Enterococcus species that are resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics and vancomycin. Most commonly refers to Enterococcus faecium. |
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