Chapter 14 Introduction
Figure 14.1 Description
Old poster stating: Penicillin – The new life saving drug saves soldier’s lives! Men who might have died will live if you give this job everything you’ve got. A person wearing personal protective gear sets up an intravenous bag full of fluid.
Chapter Outline
- 14.1 History of Chemotherapy and Antimicrobial Discovery
- 14.2 Fundamentals of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
- 14.3 Mechanisms of Antibacterial Drugs
- 14.4 Mechanisms of Other Antimicrobial Drugs
- 14.5 Drug Resistance
- 14.6 Testing the Effectiveness of Antimicrobials
- 14.7 Current Strategies for Antimicrobial Discovery
In nature, some microbes produce substances that inhibit or kill other microbes that might otherwise compete for the same resources. Humans have successfully exploited these abilities, using microbes to mass-produce substances that can be used as antimicrobial drugs. Since their discovery, antimicrobial drugs have saved countless lives, and they remain an essential tool for treating and controlling infectious disease. But their widespread and often unnecessary use has had an unintended side effect: the rise of multidrug-resistant microbial strains. In this chapter, we will discuss how antimicrobial drugs work, why microbes develop resistance, and what health professionals can do to encourage responsible use of antimicrobials.
