: Preventing the transcription of genetic code. 3. Antimicrobic Susceptibility Testing (AST)
Testing is used to determine which specific antimicrobic will be effective against a particular pathogen. Common methods include: antimicrobic
: Antibiotic-impregnated discs are placed on a bacterial "lawn." The resulting Zone of Inhibition (the clear area where no growth occurs) is measured to categorize the organism as Sensitive (S) , Intermediate (I) , or Resistant (R) . : Preventing the transcription of genetic code
: Cumulative data from a laboratory that tracks local resistance trends to help clinicians choose initial treatments. 4. Antimicrobial Stewardship Antimicrobial Stewardship : The overarching category for all
: The overarching category for all drugs that kill or inhibit microbes, including synthetic chemicals.
: Specifically refers to antimicrobial substances naturally produced by microorganisms (like penicillin) or their semi-synthetic derivatives.
Antimicrobics work by targeting essential biological processes in microbes that are absent or different in human cells. The five primary targets in bacteria include:
