Antimicrobial spectrum

The antimicrobial spectrum of an antibiotic means the range of microorganisms it can kill or inhibit. Antibiotics can be divided into broad-spectrum antibiotics, extended-spectrum antibiotics and narrow-spectrum antibiotics based on their spectrum. Detailedly, broad-spectrum antibiotics can kill or inhibit a huge range of microorganisms; extended-spectrum antibiotic can kill or inhibit Gram positive bacteria and some Gram negative bacteria; narrow-spectrum antibiotic can only kill or inhibit limited species of bacteria.[1][2]

A simplified diagram showing common disease-causing bacteria and the antibiotics which act against them.

Currently no antibiotic's spectrum can completely cover all types of microorganisms.[3]

Determination

The antimicrobial spectrum of an antibiotic can be determined by testing its antimicrobial activity against a wide range of microbes in vitro . Nonetheless, the range of microorganisms which an antibiotic can kill or inhibit in vivo may not always be the same as the antimicrobial spectrum based on data collected in vitro.[2][4]

Significances

Generally, a wider antimicrobial spectrum of an antibiotic means it can be used in more clinic indications of it.[2][5]

Examples

See also

References
  1. Michelle A. Clark; et al. Pharmacology (5th ed.). USA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. pp. 375–376. ISBN 978-1-4511-4320-1.
  2. David Warrell; Timothy M. Cox; John Firth; Estée Török (11 October 2012). Oxford Textbook of Medicine: Infection. OUP Oxford. p. 39. ISBN 978-0-19-965213-6.
  3. Erich Lück; Martin Jager (1997). Antimicrobial Food Additives: Characteristics, Uses, Effects. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 39. ISBN 978-3-540-61138-7.
  4. Wiley W. Souba; Douglas W. Wilmore (23 February 2001). Surgical Research. Elsevier. p. 909. ISBN 978-0-08-054214-0.
  5. Andrew Hitchings; Dagan Lonsdale; Daniel Burrage; Emma Baker (30 March 2014). The Top 100 Drugs e-book: Clinical Pharmacology and Practical Prescribing. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 94. ISBN 978-0-7020-5515-7.
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