Track 21: Antibiotics and Antimicrobials

Antibiotics and Antimicrobials

Both antibiotics and antimicrobials are medications used to treat infections caused by microorganisms, but they differ in the scope of pathogens they target and their mechanisms of action. While the terms are often used interchangeably, there are important distinctions between the two.

Antimicrobials

Antimicrobials is a broad term that refers to any agent (natural, semi-synthetic, or synthetic) that kills or inhibits the growth of microorganisms. This category includes a wide range of drugs that target various types of microbes, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.

Types of Antimicrobials:

1.      Antibiotics:

• Antibiotics are a subset of antimicrobials specifically designed to kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria.
• They can be further classified into broad-spectrum or narrow-spectrum antibiotics based on their range of activity.
• Examples: Penicillin, amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin.

2.      Antiviral Agents:

• These are drugs that target viruses, either by preventing viral replication or by inhibiting viral enzymes essential for their lifecycle.
• Examples: Acyclovir (for herpes), oseltamivir (Tamiflu, for influenza).

3.      Antifungal Agents:

• These drugs are used to treat fungal infections, including both superficial (e.g., skin infections) and systemic fungal infections.
• Examples: Fluconazole, amphotericin B, clotrimazole.

4.      Antiprotozoal Agents:

• These target protozoan parasites responsible for diseases such as malaria, giardiasis, and trypanosomiasis.

Examples: Metronidazole, chloroquine, primaquine