Bactericidal action of antibiotics. Describe the bacteriostatic and bactericidal action of antibiotics.

The human body is attacked every day by many microbes that try to settle and develop at the expense of the internal resources of the body. The immune system usually copes with them, but sometimes the resistance of microorganisms is high and you have to take drugs to fight them. There are different groups of antibiotics that have a certain range of effects, belong to different generations, but all types of this drug effectively kill pathological microorganisms. Like all powerful medicines, this remedy has its side effects.

What is an antibiotic

This is a group of drugs that have the ability to block protein synthesis and thereby inhibit reproduction, the growth of living cells. All types of antibiotics are used to treat infectious processes that are caused by different strains of bacteria: staphylococcus aureus, streptococcus, meningococcus. The drug was first developed in 1928 by Alexander Fleming. Antibiotics of some groups are prescribed in the treatment of oncological pathologies as part of combined chemotherapy. In modern terminology, this type of medication is often called antibacterial drugs.

Classification of antibiotics by mechanism of action

The first drugs of this type were drugs based on penicillin. There is a classification of antibiotics by groups and by the mechanism of action. Some of the drugs have a narrow focus, others have a wide spectrum of action. This parameter determines how much the drug will affect human health (both positively and negatively). Medicines help to cope or reduce the lethality of such serious diseases:

• sepsis;
• gangrene;
• meningitis;
• pneumonia;
• syphilis.

bactericidal

This is one of the types from the classification of antimicrobial agents by pharmacological action. Bactericidal antibiotics are drugs that cause lysis, the death of microorganisms. The drug inhibits membrane synthesis, inhibits the production of DNA components. The following groups of antibiotics have these properties:

• carbapenems;
• penicillins;
• fluoroquinolones;
• glycopeptides;
• monobactams;
• fosfomycin.

Bacteriostatic

The action of this group of medicines is aimed at inhibiting the synthesis of proteins by the cells of microorganisms, which prevents them from further multiplying and developing. The result of the action of the drug is the restriction of the further development of the pathological process. This effect is typical for the following groups of antibiotics:

• lincosamines;
• macrolides;
• aminoglycosides.

Classification of antibiotics by chemical composition

The main separation of drugs is carried out according to the chemical structure. Each of them is based on a different active substance. Such a division helps to target a specific type of microbe or to have a wide range of effects on a large number of varieties. This also prevents bacteria from developing resistance (resistance, immunity) to a particular type of medication. The main types of antibiotics are described below.

Penicillins

This is the very first group that was created by man. Antibiotics of the penicillin group (penicillium) have a wide range of effects on microorganisms. Within the group there is an additional division into:

• natural penicillin agents - produced by fungi under normal conditions (phenoxymethylpenicillin, benzylpenicillin);
• semi-synthetic penicillins, have greater resistance to penicillinases, which significantly expands the spectrum of antibiotic action (drugs methicillin, oxacillin);
• extended action - preparations of ampicillin, amoxicillin;
• medicines with a wide spectrum of action - the drug azlocillin, mezlocillin.

In order to reduce the resistance of bacteria to this type of antibiotics, penicillinase inhibitors are added: sulbactam, tazobactam, clavulanic acid. Vivid examples of such medicines are: Tazotsin, Augmentin, Tazrobida. Assign funds for the following pathologies:

• respiratory system infections: pneumonia, sinusitis, bronchitis, laryngitis, pharyngitis;
• genitourinary: urethritis, cystitis, gonorrhea, prostatitis;
• digestive: dysentery, cholecystitis;
• syphilis.

Cephalosporins

The bactericidal property of this group has a wide spectrum of action. The following generations of ceflafosporins are distinguished:

• I-e, preparations of cephradine, cephalexin, cefazolin;
• II-e, drugs with cefaclor, cefuroxime, cefoxitin, cefotiam;
• III-e, drugs ceftazidime, cefotaxime, cefoperazone, ceftriaxone, cefodizime;
• IV-e, funds with cefpirome, cefepime;
• V-e, medicines fetobiprol, ceftaroline, fetolosan.

There is most of the antibacterial medicines of this group only in the form of injections, so they are used more often in clinics. Cephalosporins are the most popular type of antibiotics for inpatient treatment. This class of antibacterial agents is prescribed for:

• pyelonephritis;
• generalization of infection;
• inflammation of soft tissues, bones;
• meningitis;
• pneumonia;
• lymphangitis.

Macrolides

1. Natural. They were synthesized for the first time in the 60s of the XX century, these include spiramycin, erythromycin, midecamycin, josamycin.
2. Prodrugs, the active form is taken after metabolism, for example, troleandomycin.
3. Semi-synthetic. These are clarithromycin, telithromycin, azithromycin, dirithromycin.

Tetracyclines

This species was created in the second half of the 20th century. Antibiotics of the tetracycline group have antimicrobial activity against a large number of strains of microbial flora. At high concentrations, a bactericidal effect is manifested. A feature of tetracyclines is the ability to accumulate in tooth enamel, bone tissue. It helps in the treatment of chronic osteomyelitis, but also disrupts skeletal development in young children. This group is prohibited for pregnant girls, children under 12 years of age. These antibacterial medicines are represented by the following drugs:

• Oxytetracycline;
• Tigecycline;
• doxycycline;
• Minocycline.

Contraindications include hypersensitivity to components, chronic liver pathologies, porphyria. Indications for use are the following pathologies:

• Lyme disease;
• intestinal pathologies;
• leptospirosis;
• brucellosis;
• gonococcal infections;
• rickettsiosis;
• trachoma;
• actinomycosis;
• tularemia.

Aminoglycosides

The active use of this series of medicines is carried out in the treatment of infections caused by gram-negative flora. Antibiotics have a bactericidal effect. The drugs show high efficiency, which is not related to the activity of the patient's immunity, making these medicines indispensable for its weakening and neutropenia. There are the following generations of these antibacterial agents:

1. Preparations of kanamycin, neomycin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin belong to the first generation.
2. The second includes funds with gentamicin, tobramycin.
3. The third group includes amikacin preparations.
4. The fourth generation is represented by isepamycin.

Indications for the use of this group of medicines are the following pathologies:

• sepsis;
• respiratory infections;
• cystitis;
• peritonitis;
• endocarditis;
• meningitis;
• osteomyelitis.

Fluoroquinolones

One of the largest groups of antibacterial agents, have a broad bactericidal effect on pathogenic microorganisms. All medicines are marching nalidixic acid. Active use of fluoroquinolones began in the 7th year, there is a classification by generation:

• medicines of oxolinic, nalidixic acid;
• products with ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, pefloxacin, norfloxacin;
• levofloxacin preparations;
• drugs with moxifloxacin, gatifloxacin, gemifloxacin.

The latter type was called "respiratory", which is associated with activity against microflora, which, as a rule, is the cause of the development of pneumonia. Medicines of this group are used for therapy:

• bronchitis;
• sinusitis;
• gonorrhea;
• intestinal infections;
• tuberculosis;
• sepsis;
• meningitis;
• prostatitis.

Video

Attention! The information presented in the article is for informational purposes only. The materials of the article do not call for self-treatment. Only a qualified doctor can make a diagnosis and give recommendations for treatment based on the individual characteristics of a particular patient.

Did you find an error in the text? Select it, press Ctrl + Enter and we'll fix it!

Antibiotics are a huge group of bactericidal drugs, each of which is characterized by its spectrum of action, indications for use and the presence of certain consequences.

Antibiotics are substances that can inhibit the growth of microorganisms or destroy them. According to the definition of GOST, antibiotics include substances of plant, animal or microbial origin. At present, this definition is somewhat outdated, since a huge number of synthetic drugs have been created, but it was natural antibiotics that served as the prototype for their creation.

The history of antimicrobial drugs begins in 1928, when A. Fleming was first discovered penicillin. This substance was just discovered, and not created, since it has always existed in nature. In wildlife, it is produced by microscopic fungi of the genus Penicillium, protecting themselves from other microorganisms.

In less than 100 years, more than a hundred different antibacterial drugs have been created. Some of them are already outdated and are not used in treatment, and some are only being introduced into clinical practice.

How antibiotics work

We recommend reading:

All antibacterial drugs according to the effect on microorganisms can be divided into two large groups:

• bactericidal- directly cause the death of microbes;
• bacteriostatic- prevent the growth of microorganisms. Unable to grow and multiply, the bacteria are destroyed by the sick person's immune system.

Antibiotics realize their effects in many ways: some of them interfere with the synthesis of microbial nucleic acids; others interfere with the synthesis of the bacterial cell wall, others disrupt the synthesis of proteins, and others block the functions of respiratory enzymes.

Groups of antibiotics

Despite the diversity of this group of drugs, all of them can be attributed to several main types. This classification is based on the chemical structure - drugs from the same group have a similar chemical formula, differing from each other in the presence or absence of certain molecular fragments.

The classification of antibiotics implies the presence of groups:

1. Derivatives of penicillin. This includes all drugs created on the basis of the very first antibiotic. In this group, the following subgroups or generations of penicillin preparations are distinguished:

• Natural benzylpenicillin, which is synthesized by fungi, and semi-synthetic drugs: methicillin, nafcillin.
• Synthetic drugs: carbpenicillin and ticarcillin, which have a wider range of effects.
• Mecillam and azlocillin, which have an even wider spectrum of action.

1. Cephalosporins are close relatives of penicillins. The very first antibiotic of this group, cefazolin C, is produced by fungi of the genus Cephalosporium. Most of the drugs in this group have a bactericidal effect, that is, they kill microorganisms. There are several generations of cephalosporins:

• I generation: cefazolin, cephalexin, cefradin, etc.
• II generation: cefsulodin, cefamandol, cefuroxime.
• III generation: cefotaxime, ceftazidime, cefodizime.
• IV generation: cefpir.
• V generation: ceftolosan, ceftopibrol.

The differences between different groups are mainly in their effectiveness - later generations have a greater spectrum of action and are more effective. Cephalosporins of the 1st and 2nd generations are now used extremely rarely in clinical practice, most of them are not even produced.

1. - drugs with a complex chemical structure that have a bacteriostatic effect on a wide range of microbes. Representatives: azithromycin, rovamycin, josamycin, leukomycin and a number of others. Macrolides are considered one of the safest antibacterial drugs - they can be used even by pregnant women. Azalides and ketolides are varieties of macrolides that differ in the structure of active molecules.

Another advantage of this group of drugs is that they are able to penetrate the cells of the human body, which makes them effective in the treatment of intracellular infections:,.

1. Aminoglycosides. Representatives: gentamicin, amikacin, kanamycin. Effective against a large number of aerobic gram-negative microorganisms. These drugs are considered the most toxic, can lead to quite serious complications. Used to treat urinary tract infections,.
2. Tetracyclines. Basically, this semi-synthetic and synthetic drugs, which include: tetracycline, doxycycline, minocycline. Effective against many bacteria. The disadvantage of these drugs is cross-resistance, that is, microorganisms that have developed resistance to one drug will be insensitive to others from this group.
3. Fluoroquinolones. These are completely synthetic drugs that do not have their natural counterpart. All drugs in this group are divided into the first generation (pefloxacin, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin) and the second (levofloxacin, moxifloxacin). They are most often used to treat infections of the upper respiratory tract (,) and respiratory tract (,).
4. Lincosamides. This group includes the natural antibiotic lincomycin and its derivative clindamycin. They have both bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects, the effect depends on the concentration.
5. Carbapenems. These are one of the most modern antibiotics, acting on a large number of microorganisms. The drugs of this group belong to the reserve antibiotics, that is, they are used in the most difficult cases when other drugs are ineffective. Representatives: imipenem, meropenem, ertapenem.
6. Polymyxins. These are highly specialized drugs used to treat infections caused by. Polymyxins include polymyxin M and B. The disadvantage of these drugs is toxic effects on the nervous system and kidneys.
7. Anti-tuberculosis drugs. This is a separate group of drugs that have a pronounced effect on. These include rifampicin, isoniazid, and PAS. Other antibiotics are also used to treat tuberculosis, but only if resistance has developed to the mentioned drugs.
8. Antifungals. This group includes drugs used to treat mycoses - fungal infections: amphotyrecin B, nystatin, fluconazole.

Ways to use antibiotics

Antibacterial drugs are available in different forms: tablets, powder, from which a solution for injection is prepared, ointments, drops, spray, syrup, suppositories. The main ways to use antibiotics:

1. Oral- intake by mouth. You can take the medicine in the form of a tablet, capsule, syrup or powder. The frequency of administration depends on the type of antibiotics, for example, azithromycin is taken once a day, and tetracycline - 4 times a day. For each type of antibiotic, there are recommendations that indicate when it should be taken - before meals, during or after. The effectiveness of treatment and the severity of side effects depend on this. For young children, antibiotics are sometimes prescribed in the form of syrup - it is easier for children to drink a liquid than to swallow a tablet or capsule. In addition, the syrup can be sweetened to get rid of the unpleasant or bitter taste of the medicine itself.
2. Injectable- In the form of intramuscular or intravenous injections. With this method, the drug enters the focus of infection faster and acts more actively. The disadvantage of this method of administration is pain when injected. Injections are used for moderate and severe diseases.

Important:injections should only be given by a nurse in a clinic or hospital! Doing antibiotics at home is strongly discouraged.

1. Local- applying ointments or creams directly to the site of infection. This method of drug delivery is mainly used for skin infections - erysipelas, as well as in ophthalmology - for infectious eye damage, for example, tetracycline ointment for conjunctivitis.

The route of administration is determined only by the doctor. This takes into account many factors: the absorption of the drug in the gastrointestinal tract, the state of the digestive system as a whole (in some diseases, the absorption rate decreases, and the effectiveness of treatment decreases). Some drugs can only be administered one way.

When injecting, you need to know how you can dissolve the powder. For example, Abaktal can only be diluted with glucose, since when sodium chloride is used, it is destroyed, which means that the treatment will be ineffective.

Sensitivity to antibiotics

Any organism sooner or later gets used to the most severe conditions. This statement is also true in relation to microorganisms - in response to prolonged exposure to antibiotics, microbes develop resistance to them. The concept of sensitivity to antibiotics was introduced into medical practice - with what efficiency this or that drug affects the pathogen.

Any prescription of antibiotics should be based on knowledge of the susceptibility of the pathogen. Ideally, before prescribing the drug, the doctor should conduct a sensitivity test and prescribe the most effective drug. But the time for such an analysis in the best case is a few days, and during this time the infection can lead to the saddest result.

Therefore, in case of an infection with an unknown pathogen, doctors prescribe drugs empirically - taking into account the most likely pathogen, with knowledge of the epidemiological situation in a particular region and medical institution. For this, broad-spectrum antibiotics are used.

After performing a sensitivity test, the doctor has the opportunity to change the drug to a more effective one. Replacement of the drug can be made in the absence of the effect of treatment for 3-5 days.

Etiotropic (targeted) prescription of antibiotics is more effective. At the same time, it turns out what caused the disease - with the help of bacteriological research, the type of pathogen is established. Then the doctor selects a specific drug to which the microbe has no resistance (resistance).

Are antibiotics always effective?

Antibiotics only work on bacteria and fungi! Bacteria are unicellular microorganisms. There are several thousand species of bacteria, some of which coexist quite normally with humans - more than 20 species of bacteria live in the large intestine. Some bacteria are conditionally pathogenic - they become the cause of the disease only under certain conditions, for example, when they enter an atypical habitat for them. For example, very often prostatitis is caused by Escherichia coli, which enters from the rectum in an ascending way.

Note: antibiotics are completely ineffective in viral diseases. Viruses are many times smaller than bacteria, and antibiotics simply do not have a point of application of their ability. Therefore, antibiotics for colds do not have an effect, since colds in 99% of cases are caused by viruses.

Antibiotics for coughs and bronchitis may be effective if these symptoms are caused by bacteria. Only a doctor can figure out what caused the disease - for this he prescribes blood tests, if necessary - a sputum examination if it departs.

Important:Do not prescribe antibiotics to yourself! This will only lead to the fact that some of the pathogens will develop resistance, and the next time the disease will be much more difficult to cure.

Of course, antibiotics are effective for - this disease is exclusively bacterial in nature, it is caused by streptococci or staphylococci. For the treatment of angina, the simplest antibiotics are used - penicillin, erythromycin. The most important thing in the treatment of angina is compliance with the frequency of taking drugs and the duration of treatment - at least 7 days. You can not stop taking the medicine immediately after the onset of the condition, which is usually noted for 3-4 days. True tonsillitis should not be confused with tonsillitis, which may be of viral origin.

Note: untreated angina can cause acute rheumatic fever or!

Inflammation of the lungs () can be of both bacterial and viral origin. Bacteria cause pneumonia in 80% of cases, so even with empirical prescription, antibiotics for pneumonia have a good effect. In viral pneumonia, antibiotics do not have a therapeutic effect, although they prevent the bacterial flora from joining the inflammatory process.

Antibiotics and alcohol

The simultaneous use of alcohol and antibiotics in a short period of time does not lead to anything good. Some drugs are broken down in the liver, like alcohol. The presence of an antibiotic and alcohol in the blood gives a strong load on the liver - it simply does not have time to neutralize ethyl alcohol. As a result of this, the likelihood of developing unpleasant symptoms increases: nausea, vomiting, intestinal disorders.

Important: a number of drugs interact with alcohol at the chemical level, as a result of which the therapeutic effect is directly reduced. These drugs include metronidazole, chloramphenicol, cefoperazone and a number of others. The simultaneous use of alcohol and these drugs can not only reduce the therapeutic effect, but also lead to shortness of breath, convulsions and death.

Of course, some antibiotics can be taken while drinking alcohol, but why risk your health? It is better to abstain from alcohol for a short time - the course of antibiotic therapy rarely exceeds 1.5-2 weeks.

Antibiotics during pregnancy

Pregnant women suffer from infectious diseases no less than everyone else. But the treatment of pregnant women with antibiotics is very difficult. In the body of a pregnant woman, a fetus grows and develops - an unborn child, very sensitive to many chemicals. The ingress of antibiotics into the developing organism can provoke the development of fetal malformations, toxic damage to the central nervous system of the fetus.

In the first trimester, it is advisable to avoid the use of antibiotics altogether. In the second and third trimesters, their appointment is safer, but also, if possible, should be limited.

It is impossible to refuse the prescription of antibiotics to a pregnant woman with the following diseases:

• Pneumonia;
• angina;
• infected wounds;
• specific infections: brucellosis, borreliosis;
• genital infections:,.

What antibiotics can be prescribed to a pregnant woman?

Penicillin, cephalosporin preparations, erythromycin, josamycin have almost no effect on the fetus. Penicillin, although it passes through the placenta, does not adversely affect the fetus. Cephalosporin and other named drugs cross the placenta in extremely low concentrations and are not capable of harming the unborn child.

Conditionally safe drugs include metronidazole, gentamicin and azithromycin. They are prescribed only for health reasons, when the benefit to the woman outweighs the risk to the child. Such situations include severe pneumonia, sepsis, and other severe infections in which a woman can simply die without antibiotics.

Which of the drugs should not be prescribed during pregnancy

The following drugs should not be used in pregnant women:

• aminoglycosides- can lead to congenital deafness (with the exception of gentamicin);
• clarithromycin, roxithromycin– in experiments they had a toxic effect on animal embryos;
• fluoroquinolones;
• tetracycline- violates the formation of the skeletal system and teeth;
• chloramphenicol- dangerous in late pregnancy due to inhibition of bone marrow function in a child.

For some antibacterial drugs, there is no evidence of a negative effect on the fetus. This is explained simply - on pregnant women, they do not conduct experiments to determine the toxicity of drugs. Experiments on animals do not allow with 100% certainty to exclude all negative effects, since the metabolism of drugs in humans and animals can differ significantly.

It should be noted that before you should also stop taking antibiotics or change plans for conception. Some drugs have a cumulative effect - they are able to accumulate in a woman's body, and for some time after the end of the course of treatment they are gradually metabolized and excreted. Pregnancy is recommended no earlier than 2-3 weeks after the end of antibiotics.

Consequences of taking antibiotics

The ingress of antibiotics into the human body leads not only to the destruction of pathogenic bacteria. Like all foreign chemicals, antibiotics have a systemic effect - in one way or another they affect all body systems.

There are several groups of side effects of antibiotics:

allergic reactions

Almost any antibiotic can cause allergies. The severity of the reaction is different: a rash on the body, Quincke's edema (angioneurotic edema), anaphylactic shock. If an allergic rash is practically not dangerous, then anaphylactic shock can be fatal. The risk of shock is much higher with antibiotic injections, which is why injections should only be given in medical facilities - emergency care can be provided there.

Antibiotics and other antimicrobial drugs that cause cross-allergic reactions:

Toxic reactions

Antibiotics can damage many organs, but the liver is most susceptible to their effects - against the background of antibiotic therapy, toxic hepatitis can occur. Some drugs have a selective toxic effect on other organs: aminoglycosides - on the hearing aid (cause deafness); tetracyclines inhibit bone growth in children.

note: the toxicity of the drug usually depends on its dose, but with individual intolerance, sometimes smaller doses are enough to show the effect.

Impact on the gastrointestinal tract

When taking certain antibiotics, patients often complain of stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, stool disorders (diarrhea). These reactions are most often due to the local irritating effect of drugs. The specific effect of antibiotics on the intestinal flora leads to functional disorders of its activity, which is most often accompanied by diarrhea. This condition is called antibiotic-associated diarrhea, which is popularly known as dysbacteriosis after antibiotics.

Other side effects

Other side effects include:

• suppression of immunity;
• the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of microorganisms;
• superinfection - a condition in which microbes resistant to a given antibiotic are activated, leading to the emergence of a new disease;
• violation of vitamin metabolism - due to the inhibition of the natural flora of the colon, which synthesizes some B vitamins;
• Jarisch-Herxheimer bacteriolysis is a reaction that occurs when bactericidal drugs are used, when, as a result of the simultaneous death of a large number of bacteria, a large amount of toxins are released into the blood. The reaction is clinically similar to shock.

Can antibiotics be used prophylactically?

Self-education in the field of treatment has led to the fact that many patients, especially young mothers, try to prescribe themselves (or their child) an antibiotic at the slightest sign of a cold. Antibiotics do not have a preventive effect - they treat the cause of the disease, that is, they eliminate microorganisms, and in the absence, only side effects of the drugs appear.

There are a limited number of situations where antibiotics are administered before the clinical manifestations of infection, in order to prevent it:

• surgery- in this case, the antibiotic in the blood and tissues prevents the development of infection. As a rule, a single dose of the drug administered 30-40 minutes before the intervention is sufficient. Sometimes, even after an appendectomy, antibiotics are not injected in the postoperative period. After "clean" surgical operations, antibiotics are not prescribed at all.
• major injuries or wounds(open fractures, soil contamination of the wound). In this case, it is absolutely obvious that an infection has entered the wound and it should be “crushed” before it manifests itself;
• emergency prevention of syphilis carried out with unprotected sexual contact with a potentially sick person, as well as with health workers who have got the blood of an infected person or other biological fluid on the mucous membrane;
• penicillin can be given to children for the prevention of rheumatic fever, which is a complication of tonsillitis.

Antibiotics for children

The use of antibiotics in children in general does not differ from their use in other groups of people. Pediatricians most often prescribe antibiotics in syrup for young children. This dosage form is more convenient to take, unlike injections, it is completely painless. Older children may be prescribed antibiotics in tablets and capsules. In severe infections, they switch to the parenteral route of administration - injections.

Important: the main feature in the use of antibiotics in pediatrics lies in dosages - children are prescribed smaller doses, since the drug is calculated in terms of a kilogram of body weight.

Antibiotics are very effective drugs that have at the same time a large number of side effects. In order to be cured with their help and not harm your body, you should take them only as directed by your doctor.

What are antibiotics? When are antibiotics needed and when are they dangerous? The main rules of antibiotic treatment are told by the pediatrician, Dr. Komarovsky:

Gudkov Roman, resuscitator

Many microorganisms surround man. There are useful ones that live on the skin, mucous membranes and in the intestines. They help digest food, participate in the synthesis of vitamins and protect the body from pathogenic microorganisms. And there are a lot of them too. Many diseases are caused by the activity of bacteria in the human body. And the only way to deal with them is antibiotics. Most of them have a bactericidal effect. This property of such drugs helps prevent the active reproduction of bacteria and leads to their death. Various products with this effect are widely used for internal and external use.

What is bactericidal action

This property of drugs is used to destroy various microorganisms. Various physical and chemical agents have this quality. Bactericidal action is the ability to destroy bacteria and thereby cause their death. The speed of this process depends on the concentration of the active substance and the number of microorganisms. Only when using penicillins, the bactericidal effect does not increase with an increase in the amount of the drug. Have a bactericidal effect:

Where are funds needed?

Bactericidal action is the property of certain substances that a person constantly needs in economic and household activities. Most often, such drugs are used to disinfect premises in children's and medical institutions, and catering establishments. Use them for processing hands, utensils, inventory. Bactericidal preparations are especially needed in medical institutions, where they are used constantly. Many housewives use such substances in everyday life for the treatment of hands, plumbing and floors.

Medicine is also an area where bactericidal drugs are used very often. External antiseptics, in addition to hand treatment, are used to cleanse wounds and fight infections of the skin and mucous membranes. Chemotherapy drugs are currently the only treatment for various infectious diseases caused by bacteria. The peculiarity of such drugs is that they destroy the cell walls of bacteria without affecting human cells.

bactericidal antibiotics

These are the most commonly used drugs to fight infection. Antibiotics are divided into two groups: bactericidal and bacteriostatic, that is, those that do not kill bacteria, but simply prevent them from multiplying. The first group is used more often, since the action of such drugs comes faster. They are used in acute infectious processes, when there is an intensive division of bacterial cells. In such antibiotics, the bactericidal action is expressed in the violation of protein synthesis and the prevention of the construction of the cell wall. As a result, the bacteria die. These antibiotics include:

Plants with bactericidal action

Some plants also have the ability to kill bacteria. They are less effective than antibiotics, act much more slowly, but are often used as an adjunct treatment. The following plants have a bactericidal effect:

Local disinfectants

Such preparations with a bactericidal effect are used to treat hands, equipment, medical instruments, floors and plumbing. Some of them are safe for the skin and are even used to treat infected wounds. They can be divided into several groups:

Rules for the use of such drugs

All germicides are potent and can cause serious side effects. When using external antiseptics, be sure to follow the instructions and avoid overdose. Some disinfectants are very toxic, such as chlorine or phenol, so when working with them, you need to protect your hands and respiratory organs and strictly follow the dosage.

Oral chemotherapy drugs can also be dangerous. After all, along with pathogenic bacteria, they destroy beneficial microorganisms. Because of this, the patient's gastrointestinal tract is disturbed, there is a lack of vitamins and minerals, immunity decreases and allergic reactions appear. Therefore, when using bactericidal drugs, you need to follow some rules:

• they must be taken only as directed by a doctor;
• the dosage and mode of administration are very important: they act only if there is a certain concentration of the active substance in the body;
• treatment should not be interrupted ahead of time, even if the condition has improved, otherwise the bacteria may develop resistance;
• it is recommended to drink antibiotics only with water, so they work better.

Bactericidal drugs affect only bacteria, destroying them. They are ineffective against viruses and fungi, but destroy beneficial microorganisms. Therefore, self-medication with such drugs is unacceptable.