Download Treatment of infectious diseases

Treatment of infectious
diseases
Drugs used in the treatment of bacterial
diseases can be grouped into categories
based on their modes of action:
1. Penicillins/cephalosporins interfere with
certain layers of cell wall
2. Chloramphenicol, tetracyclines,
erythromycins-may be toxic when
used in high doses or prolonged
periods of time ***
3. Rifampin-used for treatment of TB ***
 Drugs that effectively inhibit viral infections are
highly toxic to host cells because viruses use
the host’s metabolic enzymes in reproduction
1. Antiviral drugs target virus-specific enzymes
2. Acyclovir-used in treatment of genital
herpes***
3. Amantadine-used to prevent or moderate
influenza ***
4. AZT-inhibit replication of HIV genome
Development of drugs used to treat fungal,
protozoan, and helminthic diseases are also
highly toxic to mammals
1. Azole derivatives inhibit sterol synthesis
2. Amphotericin B-disrupts cell membrane
Antimicrobial resistance presents ongoing
problems in the fight against infectious
diseases
1. Penicillin resistance noted as early as
1943***
2. Mycobacterium tuberculosis-some
strains resistant to all drugs
3. Resistance to antibiotics-result of
changes in genetic information