Are Beta Lactam Antibiotics Used As A Last Resort Of Antibiotics?

Introduction Using antibiotics to treat infectious diseases as a result of bacteria has added 20 years to our lifespan, but the rapid emergence of antibiotic resistance is hindering their effectiveness. Cutting-edge antibiotics are required, but they have not been developed in the last 25 years (WHO, 2016). One class of antibiotics are beta-lactams, which are sub-divided into four different groups of antimicrobial agents, as shown in Figure 1. Carbapenems such as imipenem and meropenem are unique

Klebsiella pneumoniae. Today K. pneumoniae can be responsible for community acquired infections, but is most commonly observed as a major cause of hospital acquired infections which can be fatal. K. pneumoniae has been observed to develop resistance to antibiotics more easily than most bacteria through the production of new enzymes to break them down. As new resistance mechanisms develop, fewer and fewer treatments are available for infections by K. pneumoniae. Although some treatments still remain, few new

rise in antibiotic resistance. Some bacteria that can cause serious disease are becoming resistant to most commonly available antibiotics. Antibiotic medications are used to kill bacteria, which can cause disease and illness. A major contribution to human health is antibiotic medication. Many diseases that once killed people in the past can now be treated effectively with antibiotics. However, it has come to the surface that some bacteria have become resistant to commonly used antibiotics. Antibiotic

Introduction Since the beginning of the antibiotic error in the mid 20th century, antimicrobial resistance has been recognized. The increased use of antimicrobial agents in the recent years has resulted in the development of resistance to these drugs. Clinical threats have however been minimized by the availability of newer agents (Bonomo & Tolmasky 2007). The World Health Organization (WHO) defines antimicrobial resistance as the resistance of a microorganism to an antimicrobial medicine to which

it and typically affect the microbe’s ability to synthesize proteins. Finally, antimicrobials are often labeled as either narrow-spectrum or broad-spectrum. Broad-spectrum drugs are effective against a wide range of pathogens and can sometimes be used to treat infections that have not been definitely diagnosed.

The Current State of Antibiotic Resistant “Superbugs” Introduction The rapid emergence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria is a startling problem facing the medical community and this problem is only expected to worsen in the coming years. When Sir Alexander Fleming discovered the first antibiotic, penicillin, in 1928, many proclaimed his finding as the most important modern medical discovery. Simple infections such as pneumonia could be treated rather easily despite the fact that such diagnoses

The Current State of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Introduction The rapid emergence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria is a startling problem facing the medical community and this problem is only expected to worsen in the coming years1,4. When Sir Alexander Fleming discovered the first antibiotic, penicillin, in 1928, many proclaimed his finding as the most important modern medical discovery2,4. Simple infections such as pneumonia could be treated rather easily despite the fact that such diagnoses

body. It is a nosocomial bacterium which is resistant to many common antibiotics. The antibiotic resistant strains are most common and cause the most concern. These strains are easily spread throughout extended stay hospital patients and to those in community settings with underlying diseases. Klebsiella pneumoniae is the fourth most common cause of pneumonia in ICU patients. Research is currently focused on creating new antibiotics to which Klebsiella pneumoniae is susceptible. Klebsiella pneumoniae

Carbapenems have been a major last line player in eliminating infections. Carbapenem resistance is now increasing. Two drugs Avycaz and Zerbaxa are available to fight against those microbes with Carbapenem resistance. The newly approved combination drug Avycaz is composed of Ceftazidime and Avibactam. Ceftazidime is a 3rd generation cephalosporin. It inhibits bacterial cell wall synthesis by binding to the penicillin binding protein. Avibactam is a non- Beta lactam Beta Lactamase Inhibitor. It