Bactericidal antibiotic

A bactericidal antibiotic kills bacteria under specified conditions, rather than merely preventing their growth. Its effect depends on the drug, bacterial species, concentration, and environment.

Peptidoglycan: A mesh-like polymer that gives most bacterial cell walls strength and shape. Cell-wall-targeting bactericidal drugs weaken this structural mesh until susceptible bacteria rupture.
Bacteriostatic antibiotic: An antimicrobial drug that suppresses bacterial growth without directly killing bacteria under specified conditions. It is the conventional counterpart, though the same drug can appear static or cidal in different settings.
Sepsis: Life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated response to infection. Severe infection often prompts rapid antibiotic treatment, with drug choice guided by likely pathogens and source.
Antimicrobial stewardship: Coordinated efforts to use antimicrobial drugs appropriately and preserve their effectiveness. Stewardship balances prompt effective treatment against unnecessary exposure and resistance selection.
Penicillin-binding proteins: Bacterial enzymes that build and remodel peptidoglycan in the cell wall. Beta-lactam antibiotics bind these enzymes, disrupting wall construction and often killing actively growing bacteria.
Minimum inhibitory concentration: The lowest antimicrobial concentration that prevents visible growth of a microorganism in a defined test. This growth endpoint does not establish whether the drug has killed the bacteria.
Bacterial meningitis: An infection of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord caused by bacteria. Antibiotics must reach effective concentrations in the central nervous system while covering likely pathogens.
Antibiotic-associated diarrhea: Diarrhea occurring during or after antibiotic use, sometimes caused by disruption of gut microbes. Broad antibacterial treatment can disturb protective intestinal communities as well as target pathogens.
DNA gyrase: A bacterial enzyme that changes DNA winding and helps separate chromosomes during replication. Fluoroquinolones inhibit this enzyme, trapping DNA breaks that can become lethal.
Minimum bactericidal concentration: The lowest antimicrobial concentration that kills a defined proportion of an initial bacterial population in a test. It measures killing separately from the growth prevention measured by inhibitory concentration.

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