Antimicrobial Agents Term Paper

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Antimicrobial Agents

Bacterial infections are caused by bacteria and viral infections are caused by viruses and though the symptoms of these infections may seem similar, the causes are different—which means that treating them will also require unique methods. The categories of antimicrobial agents include antibacterial drugs, antifungal drugs, antiviral agents and antiparasitic drugs. A common antibacterial drug is Zithromax which will stop the pathogenesis of the bacteria. A common antiviral drug is Tamiflu, which will stop the pathogenesis of the virus. These two types are most commonly used by patients who are looking to address an infection.

But what makes viral and bacterial infections different aside from the agents causing the infection? As Steckleberg (2017) notes, bacteria are single-celled microorganisms that live in the body—some are good but others are bad. Viruses are even smaller than bacteria: they are like hostile takeover agents because they actually invade cells and cause the cell to reproduce more of the virus by using the mechanics of the cell. It is like a computer virus, taking over the computer to do things for the virus rather than for the user of the computer—which is why it is called a computer virus; it acts just like a virus attacking cells in the body. Some common forms of bacteria infection are strep throat, TB, and UTI. Some common forms of viral infection are chickenpox, flu, and AIDS. However, some illnesses can be caused by both bacteria and virus, such as pneumonia—so a care provider has to be able to determine the source of the infection in order to treat it properly.

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Proper detection of the type of infection is crucial because antibacterial drugs will not be effective in treating a viral infection and vice versa. Antiobotics can be misapplied and cause more damage to the person’s health in the long term than if the person had received proper care and obtained the right treatment for the infection that the individual was suffering from.

The proper microbial agent to treat an infection will be based on the type of infection that the individual has. Blood test, urine test, or physical exam such as listening to breathing in the lungs, and examining the throat to see what has formed in the back near the tonsils can all help to determine what is going on in the body and make an informed, educated decision about the type of infection. Obtaining the patient’s history is also important in making this decision.

As Suarez, Bunsow, Falsey, Walsh, Mejias and Ramilo (2015) point out, identifying the precise cause of the infection is critical especially in a hospital setting because patients need to receive optimal quality care and if the infection is not treated properly it can quickly lead to compounding of problems for the patient. Since the patient is already in….....

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