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Broad-spectrum antibiotic
 
 
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The term broad-spectrum antibiotic refers to an antibiotic
Antibiotic

In common usage, an antibiotic is a substance or compound that kills or inhibits the growth of bacteria. Antibiotics belong to the group of antimicrobial compounds used to treat infections caused by microorganisms, including fungus and protozoa....
 with activity against a wide range of disease-causing bacteria
Bacteria

The Bacteria are a large group of unicellular microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals....
. It is also means that it acts against both Gram-positive
Gram-positive

Gram-positive Bacteria are those that are stained dark blue or violet by Gram staining. This is in contrast to Gram-negative bacteria, which cannot retain the crystal violet stain, instead taking up the counterstain and appearing red or pink....
 and Gram-negative
Gram-negative

Gram-negative bacteria are those bacteria that do not retain crystal violet dye in the Gram staining protocol. In a Gram stain test, a counterstain is added after the crystal violet, coloring all Gram-negative bacteria with a red or pink color....
 bacteria. This is in contrast to a narrow-spectrum antibiotic which is effective against only specific families of bacteria
Bacteria

The Bacteria are a large group of unicellular microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals....
. A good example of a commonly used broad-spectrum antibiotic is levofloxacin
Levofloxacin

'Levofloxacin', sold under the brand names Iquix, Levaquin, Oftaquix, Quixin and Tavanic, is a synthetic Chemotherapeutic_agent agent used to treat severe and life threatening bacterial infections....
.

d-spectrum antibiotics are properly used in the following medical
Medicine

Medicine is the art and science of healing. It encompasses a range of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
 situations:







There has been a common usage of broad-spectrum agents in treatment of community acquired infections without attempting to culture or otherwise identify the causative bacteria.






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The term broad-spectrum antibiotic refers to an antibiotic
Antibiotic

In common usage, an antibiotic is a substance or compound that kills or inhibits the growth of bacteria. Antibiotics belong to the group of antimicrobial compounds used to treat infections caused by microorganisms, including fungus and protozoa....
 with activity against a wide range of disease-causing bacteria
Bacteria

The Bacteria are a large group of unicellular microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals....
. It is also means that it acts against both Gram-positive
Gram-positive

Gram-positive Bacteria are those that are stained dark blue or violet by Gram staining. This is in contrast to Gram-negative bacteria, which cannot retain the crystal violet stain, instead taking up the counterstain and appearing red or pink....
 and Gram-negative
Gram-negative

Gram-negative bacteria are those bacteria that do not retain crystal violet dye in the Gram staining protocol. In a Gram stain test, a counterstain is added after the crystal violet, coloring all Gram-negative bacteria with a red or pink color....
 bacteria. This is in contrast to a narrow-spectrum antibiotic which is effective against only specific families of bacteria
Bacteria

The Bacteria are a large group of unicellular microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals....
. A good example of a commonly used broad-spectrum antibiotic is levofloxacin
Levofloxacin

'Levofloxacin', sold under the brand names Iquix, Levaquin, Oftaquix, Quixin and Tavanic, is a synthetic Chemotherapeutic_agent agent used to treat severe and life threatening bacterial infections....
.

Uses

Broad-spectrum antibiotics are properly used in the following medical
Medicine

Medicine is the art and science of healing. It encompasses a range of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
 situations:

  • Empirically prior to identifying the causative bacteria when there is a wide differential and potentially serious illness would result in delay of treatment. This occurs, for example, in meningitis
    Meningitis

    Meningitis is a medical condition caused by inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges....
    , where the patient can become so ill that he/she could die within hours if broad-spectrum antibiotics are not initiated.


  • For drug resistant bacteria that do not respond to other, more narrow-spectrum antibiotics.


  • In super-infections where there are multiple types of bacteria causing illness, thus warranting either a broad-spectrum antibiotic or combination antibiotic therapy.


There has been a common usage of broad-spectrum agents in treatment of community acquired infections without attempting to culture or otherwise identify the causative bacteria. Over the years, this practice has contributed to the emergence of more drug resistant strains of bacteria, necessitating the development of newer broad-spectrum antibiotics.

Ideally, the spectrum should be "narrowed down" by identifying the causative agent of an infection, and then replacing the broad-spectrum antibiotic with an appropriate narrower-spectrum antibiotic
Antibiotic

In common usage, an antibiotic is a substance or compound that kills or inhibits the growth of bacteria. Antibiotics belong to the group of antimicrobial compounds used to treat infections caused by microorganisms, including fungus and protozoa....
. This is believed to limit the development of antibiotic resistance
Antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic resistance is the ability of a microorganism to withstand the effects of antibiotics. It is a specific type of drug resistance. Antibiotic resistance evolves via natural selection acting upon random mutation, but it can also be engineered by applying an evolutionary stress on a population....
, although evidence
Evidence-based medicine

Evidence-based medicine aims to apply evidence gained from the scientific method to certain parts of medical practice. It seeks to assess the quality of evidence relevant to the risks and benefits of therapy ....
 for this practice is unclear.

Examples

In medicine
Medicine

Medicine is the art and science of healing. It encompasses a range of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
:
  • amoxycillin
  • levofloxacin
    Levofloxacin

    'Levofloxacin', sold under the brand names Iquix, Levaquin, Oftaquix, Quixin and Tavanic, is a synthetic Chemotherapeutic_agent agent used to treat severe and life threatening bacterial infections....
    , gatifloxacin
    Gatifloxacin

    Gatifloxacin sold under the brand names Tequin and Zymar, is an antibiotic of the fourth-generation fluoroquinolone family, that like other members of that family, inhibits the bacterial enzymes DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV....
    , moxifloxacin
    Moxifloxacin

    Moxifloxacin is a synthetic quinolone antibiotic agent. Bayer AG developed the drug and it is marketed worldwide under the brand name Avelox for oral treatment....


In veterinary medicine
Veterinary medicine

Veterinary medicine is that branch of medical science,which deals with the study of diagnosis,treatment and prevention of diseases in companion,domestic, exotic, wildlife and production animals....
, Co-amoxiclav
Co-amoxiclav

Co-amoxiclav is the British Approved Name, in the British Pharmacopoeia, for the combination antibiotic containing Amoxicillin, a Beta-lactam antibiotic, with clavulanic acid, a Beta-lactamase inhibitor....
, (in small animals); penicillin
Penicillin

Penicillin is a group of antibiotics derived from Penicillium fungi. They are Beta-lactam antibiotics used in the treatment of bacterial infections caused by susceptible, usually Gram-positive, organisms....
 & streptomycin
Streptomycin

Streptomycin is an antibiotic drug, the first of a class of drugs called aminoglycosides to be discovered, and was the first antibiotic remedy for tuberculosis....
 and oxytetracycline
Oxytetracycline

Oxytetracycline was the second of the broad-spectrum antibiotic tetracycline antibiotics of antibiotics to be discovered.Oxytetracycline is a type of antibiotic called a tetracycline....
 (in farm animals); penicillin
Penicillin

Penicillin is a group of antibiotics derived from Penicillium fungi. They are Beta-lactam antibiotics used in the treatment of bacterial infections caused by susceptible, usually Gram-positive, organisms....
 and potentiated sulfonamides
Sulfonamide (medicine)

File:Sulfonamide.pngFile:Hydrochlorothiazide-2D-skeletal.pngFile:Furosemide.svgThere are several sulfonamide-based groups of drugs. The original antibacterial sulfonamides are synthetic antimicrobial agents that contain the Sulfonamide group....
 (in horses).

Others:
  • streptomycin
    Streptomycin

    Streptomycin is an antibiotic drug, the first of a class of drugs called aminoglycosides to be discovered, and was the first antibiotic remedy for tuberculosis....
  • tetracycline
    Tetracycline

    Tetracycline is a broad-spectrum polyketide antibiotic produced by the Streptomyces genus of Actinobacteria, indicated for use against many bacterial infections....
  • chloramphenicol
    Chloramphenicol

    Chloramphenicol is a bacteriostatic antimicrobial originally derived from the bacterium Streptomyces venezuelae, isolated by David Gottlieb, and introduced into clinical practice in 1949....


Slightly-Broad:
  • ampicillin
    Ampicillin

    Ampicillin is a beta-lactam antibiotic antibiotic that has been used extensively to treat bacterium infections since 1961. It is considered part of the aminopenicillin family and is roughly equivalent to amoxicillin in terms of spectrum and level of activity....


See also

  • Empiric therapy
    Empiric therapy

    Empiric therapy is a medicine term referring to the initiation of treatment prior to determination of a firm diagnosis. It is most often used when antibiotics are given to a person before the specific microorganism causing an infection is known....