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Penicillin: The Development Of Antibacterial Infections

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Antibiotic development is one of the modern marvels of medicine. This is the first external tool that people have to fight against bacterial infections. The first drug developed was Penicillin. This medication is so effective that it is still used today. From its structure, every other antibacterial drug was developed. Today, there are hundreds of options available for treating infections. Unfortunately, this has had significant ramifications on the development of resistance to these medications. As the infections continue to learn and evolve, it is important that people educate themselves on what this means and the impacts it has.

First, antibiotic resistance is the ability of infections to evolve. These new adaptations will frequently allow an infection to withstand attacks from a drug it previously could not handle. When physicians treat infections with drugs, the drug kills off all of the bacteria that cannot stand up to the medication. Sometimes, a few bacteria remain that were able to combat the drug. These bacteria continue to grow and reproduce. As a result, all of its offspring also have the DNA necessary to fight off the medication. These …show more content…

Over the years, pharmaceutical companies have developed multiple medicines that all have the same mechanism of action. This makes the treatments equivalent. Hospitals can prefer one drug over another for no reason at all. Over the years, bacteria at different hospitals have become resistant to different medications because these are the most popular medications in those locations. Hospitals know that this problem exists. Hospitals are diligent about tracking the antibiotic resistance specific to the common infections in their own hospital system. They publish guidelines for physicians regularly. This helps to guide physicians in choosing medications that both treat the infection and prevent the development of

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