Antibiotics - Definition, Indications and Contraindications (During pregnancy)

 Antibiotics

What are antibiotics?

Antibiotics are medicine use to treat bacterial infections in both humans and animals. Antibiotics work by killing bacteria or by slow down there growth.

Antibiotics can be taken in different ways depending on the severity and location of the infection.

• Orally 
• Topically
• Intravenously 

Indications for antibiotics:

1. Respiratory tract infections: Sinusitis, Streptococcal pharyngitis, Pertussis (whooping cough), Bronchitis, Pneumonia.
2. Urinary tract infections: Urinary tract infection (UTI), Pyelonephritis, Urethritis, Cystitis.
3. Skin infections: Impetigo, Cellulitis, Folliculitis, Boils, Carbuncles, Necrotizing.
4. Sexually transmitted infections: Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Chancroid, Mycoplasma genitalium.
5. Gastrointestinal infections: Salmonella, Campylobacter, Escherichia coli (E.coli), Clostridium difficile (C.diff), Vibrio cholerae, Shigella, Yersinia enterocolitica, Listeria monocytogenes, Helicobacter pylori, Bacillus cereus.
6. Bone and joint infections: Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Salmonella.
7. Bacterial meningitis: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), Group B streptococcus, Listeria monocytogenes.
8. Dental infections: Streptococcus mutans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Prevotella intermedia, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Treponema denticola, Tannerella forsythia, Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Eikenella corrodens
9. Lyme disease: Borrelia burgdorferi
10. Tuberculosis: Mycobacterium tuberculosis
11. Acne: Propionibacterium acnes
12. Otitis media: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Haemophilus influenzae
13. Pneumococcal disease: Pneumococcal pneumonia, Pneumococcal bacteremia, Pneumococcal meningitis.
14. Endocarditis: Streptococcus viridans, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus bovis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Bartonella species, Legionella species.
15. Septicemia: Escherichia coli (E.coli), Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Neisseria meningitidis, Group A streptococcus, Haemophilus influenzae, Listeria monocytogenes, Bacteroides fragilis.
16. Anthrax: Bacillus anthracis
17. Gall infections: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella species, Enterococcus species, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacteroides fragilis
18. Mucus membrane infections: Streptococcus pyogenes, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Haemophilus influenzae, Helicobacter pylori, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Chlamydia trachomatis, Streptococcus pneumoniae
19. Scarlet fever:  Group A Streptococcus (Streptococcus pyogenes)
20. Diphtheria: Corynebacterium diphtheriae
21. Siberian ulcer: Francisella tularensis
22. Syphilis: Treponema pallidum
23. ENT infections: Streptococcus pyogenes, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, Bordetella pertussis

Contraindications for antibiotics:

1. Allergic reaction
2. Kidney or liver disease
3. Pregnancy
4. Breastfeeding
5. Interactions with other medications
6. Resistance
7. Clostridioides
8. Asthma
9. Myasthenia gravis
10. Blood disorders
11. G6PD deficiency
12. Seizure disorders

Contraindicated antibiotics during pregnancy:

1. Tetracyclines
2. Aminoglycosides
3. Fluoroquinolones
4. Sulfonamides
5. Nitrofurantoin
6. Metronidazole
7. Clindamycin
8. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX)
9. Penicillin
10. Macrolides