To talk about the benefits of antibiotics, it is necessary to know what types of antibiotics have been created to date and what advantages antibiotics of modern categories, including the latest generation, demonstrate against the background of their predecessors.
Pharmacology is rapidly developing, and the stable opinion that any strong antibiotic does the body a lot of harm, can no longer be considered valid. New generation antibiotics, among other important advantages, show that they can work gently on human life systems, but at the same time effectively against pathogenic bacteria.
But that doesn’t mean you can self-prescribe an antibiotic, even if there are laudatory reviews written about it. Pills and other dosage forms that are effective for one person may not be effective for another, as seemingly similar illnesses may have been caused by different bacteria. There is also a tendency for harmful microorganisms to develop their own immunity to treatment, even with a new, modern and popular drug. Forms of medication can also act differently: antibiotics in tablets may show failure in treatment, while formulations for injection will be more effective. It is recommended to take any antibiotic, even the safest, only when prescribed by a doctor.
Types of antibiotics for treatment
If you follow the accuracy of the wording, only natural compositions can rightfully be called antibiotics, and all others should be called antibacterial drugs (medicines). But from the point of view of convenience, all types of drugs of antipathogenic action – and natural, and synthetic, and combined – are still called antibiotics.
Natural drugs are antibiotics of natural origin, produced from plants, fungi, living tissues and beneficial bacteria. In fact, drugs from this group can fight bacteria, viruses, and fungal infections at once. Efficiency and a large selection are not the only advantages of drugs with natural components. High activity and minimal harm to the patient’s body are the main reasons why, in the presence of a variety of diseases and degree of severity, treatment with natural antibiotics is considered first.
Among the most famous and often used drugs of natural origin are means based on penicillin and other microscopic fungi. These are cephalosporin antibiotics, among which they distinguish preparations already in 5 generations, there is also a separate inhibitor-protected group. Also in this category include antifungal agents.
They are offered in the form of tablets, capsules, solutions for intramuscular injection, intravenous injection, powders (for preparation of suspension).
Biosynthetic (combined, semi-synthetic) – these types of drugs, like natural ones, are also obtained from plant raw materials, but in the production process they synthesize substances artificially.
Synthetic antibiotics in common speech is called a group of antibacterial chemopreparations, completely synthesized in laboratory conditions, from components that have no natural analogues.
Despite the imprecision of terminology, an antibiotic is a drug that fights pathogenic bacteria that are causative agents of various diseases. In modern medicine to get the expected result, doctors and patients use different antibiotics representing many categories, and all drugs have their advantages, but also some disadvantages. For example, over time, some bacteria develop resistance to the effects of antibiotics, therefore, there is a complete uselessness in the fight against the pathogen.
Very often the name on the box with an antibiotic and the active substance do not coincide. This in no way means that the drug is of poor quality. There are many companies in the world that manufacture medicines, and different manufacturers offer antibiotics based on the same active ingredient, but under different trade names. For example, Erythromycin is the base, the main active ingredient of the antibiotic, and Ilozone, Erifluid, Grunamycin and others are trade names of medicines with erythromycin. The action of all the listed drugs will be the same in one way or another.
Another peculiarity of choice is the opinion that new generation drugs are always more effective than antibiotics discovered decades ago. This is not always true, as the choice of the most effective and safe drugs is individualized and depends on the patient’s state of health, the type of pathogen-causing bacteria, the way the pathogen is fought and other important factors.
For example, one antibiotic acts to inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria, and such medications are called bacteriostatic. Another way to fight the causative agent is to destroy harmful microorganisms, and antibiotics of this action have been given the name bactericidal.
Also, antibiotics can have a wide range of effects on pathogens, while others fight only in a targeted manner, with a single species (or family) of harmful microorganisms. To accurately determine the most appropriate type of antibiotic, acting quickly, not causing allergies, undesirable consequences, will help the doctor. Self-appointment of drugs is not welcomed – even if there has been experience of using a similar antibiotic before.
Broad-spectrum antibiotics
About this category, doctors and patients remember very often, because the drugs of this group have received high marks and good treatment results, combine several types of medicinal support at once.
Such antibiotics successfully treat many diseases, because in comparison with narrow-spectrum drugs, they have an effect on several types of bacteria – more than 20 strains. Also, the medications have a more diverse form of release: in addition to the usual tablets and solutions for injections and drops, manufacturers produce drugs in the form of suppositories, ointments, syrups and drops. This makes the use of any antibiotic convenient even for small children, when taking tablets is not possible.
It is impossible to name for sure the strongest drug that will help, for example, with all types of cough. In order to find the best treatment plan, it is necessary to know which bacteria is the causative agent of the disease. Even broad-spectrum antibiotics, drugs of the latest developments, affecting at once an impressive list of representatives of harmful microflora, should be used only on the prescription of a doctor.
Broad-spectrum antibiotics are several categories of drugs:
Tetracyclines – bactericidal (kills the causative agent of the disease), with an antiviral effect. Doxycycline and Tetracycline, as well as their analogs.
Efficacy:
- Respiratory tract infections
- Infections of the genitourinary system
- Infections of the skin and soft tissues
- Cholecystitis
- Diseases of ENT organs
- Pneumonia
- Osteomyelitis
- Typhus
Such antibiotics successfully treat many diseases, the drugs are active against fungal infections and sexually transmitted diseases. Prefer such antibiotics and in cases where the causative bacteria of inflammatory diseases are resistant to penicillin. An additional advantage is that with such antibiotics it is not necessary to follow the dietary regimen, as they do not depend on food intake.
Levomycetin – antibacterial, antifungal and antimicrobial drugs, examples: Moxifloxacin, Levofloxacin and drugs with chloramphenicol. It is worth considering that Levofloxacin in the form of eye drops has a fairly narrow spectrum of action, and on the contrary – solutions for infusion and tablets are used in the treatment of a very wide range of infectious and inflammatory diseases.
Efficacy:
- Diseases of the ENT organs
- Chronic forms
- Infections of the urinary tract
- STDS
- Abscesses
- Intra-abdominal infections
- Sepsis
- Penicillin-resistant tuberculosis
- Prostatitis
- Biliary tract infections
- Pneumonia
- Anthrax
Cephalosporins – the whole group is represented in 4 generations, of which to the new class of broad-spectrum drugs are III and IV generations. Very effective against gram-negative, anaerobic bacteria, inhibit the activity of viruses. On the basis of cephalosporins, combined drugs are created, also demonstrating high antimicrobial and antibacterial activity. Cefoaxin, Ceftriaxone and its derivatives, Cefepin, Cefexim and other drugs in different forms of release.
Efficacy:
- Bacterial meningitis
- Chronic and acute bronchitis
- Sepsis, abscess
- Peritonitis
- Skin and soft tissue infections
- Infectious bursitis
- Urinary tract infections
- Surgical practice
Semisynthetic penicillins – a wide spectrum of action can be applied only to antibiotics of the 3rd and 4th generation, and such drugs are demonstrably effective against a huge range of pathologies that were caused by mycobacteria, cocci, proteas, salmonellae, corynebacteria and a number of other harmful microorganisms. The main groups are the well-known Ampicillin, Amoxicillin with all analogs. They are offered in tablets and capsules, in the form of suspensions, syrups for children, ready-made solutions for infusions.
Efficacy:
- Post-traumatic infections
- Burns and open wounds
- Postpartum infections
- Typhoid fever
- Infections of the genitourinary system
- Inflammation of female pelvic organs
- Prostate diseases
- Osteomyelitis
- Rheumatism, bursitis
- Tendon abscesses
- Skin and fiber lesions
- Viral hepatitis
- Infectious arthropathies
- Cholecystitis
- Peritonitis
- Bacterial poisonings
- Diseases of ENT organs
- Immunodeficiency
Rifampicins are bacteriostatic drugs that stop protein production and bacterial growth. Antibiotics of this group are used in the treatment of, among others, respiratory organs affected by tuberculosis microbacteria. The most famous drugs of this group are Streptomycin, Syntomycin. But in addition to antituberculosis effectiveness, the drugs have other areas of application.
Efficacy:
- Urinary tract infections
- Endocarditis
- Dysentery, diarrhea
- Bacterial intestinal infections
- Plague
- Tularemia
- Brucellosis
- Burns
- Ulcerative skin lesions
- Post-traumatic infections
Carbapenems – combine the functionality of antibacterial agents with long-acting anti-inflammatory antibiotics. Preparations Meropenem, (Cyronem), Imipenem (with cilastine), etc.
Efficacy:
- Inflammations of the female pelvic organs
- Urinary tract infections
- Osteomyelitis
- Soft tissue diseases
- Abscesses
- Myositis
- Infectious arthropathies
- Respiratory diseases
- Escherichia coli
- Sepsis
- Surgical practice
Narrow-spectrum antibiotics
These are the drugs that have the strongest, well-defined action against most causative bacteria, fungi and viruses. It would be more correct to call this group as follows: narrow, mixed and intermediate spectrum antibiotics. This means that the drugs of the category work in a targeted manner, only on gram-positive or only on gram-negative flora. The advantage of this selectivity is that the antibiotic has a targeted effect on the harmful bacteria, without harming the healthy microflora of the body.
It is recommended to opt for the most gentle and safe antibiotics – macrolides. Preparations: Sumamed, Azithromycin, Erythromycin, Clarithromycin, Chemomycin.
The child’s body is growing, his bone and cartilage tissues are developing, and under this condition it is worth avoiding, if possible, drugs of the tetracycline group – Doxycycline, Metacycline. Also do not agree on aminoglycosides: Streptomycin, Monomycin and similar drugs.
The material is informational in nature. Drugs are indicated as an example of their possible use and / or application, which is not a recommendation for their use. Before using medicines, please consult a specialist.