Antibiotics are medications that are used to treat bacterial infections. They may be administered by the individual themselves or by a medical or care professional. It is important that all care professionals that give medications, attend Administration of medical training. These types of drugs work by either killing the bacteria or inhibiting its growth within the body.
Antibiotics are designed to target bacteria and to have little to no effect on human cells. It should be said that in some cases antibiotics can affect the good bacteria that we all have in our bodies and this should be taken into consideration when taking a course of drugs. Penicillin for example, disrupts the cell wall of the bacteria cell. In order for the bacteria to grow and multiple in the body it needs to have a strong cell wall. By destroying the cell wall, penicillin then allows the body’s natural defence mechanism and immune system to fully destroy the bacteria cells.
Other antibiotics will affect the protein within the cell which prevents it from carrying out its primary functions. The DNA can of a bacteria cell can also be disrupted by antibiotics such as fluoroquinolones.
Antibiotics are only effective against bacteria infections and not those that have been caused by a virus. This is due to the fact that viruses have different structures and make ups to bacteria cells. Antibiotics need to be taken as prescribed and a person must see out the course of drugs in order to gain the full benefit and to help prevent antibiotic resistance from occurring.
