Broad-spectrum antibiotic

The term broad-spectrum antibiotic refers to an antibiotic with activity against a wide range of disease-causing bacteria. It is also means that it acts against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. This is in contrast to a narrow-spectrum antibiotic which is effective against only specific families of bacteria. A good example of a commonly used broad-spectrum antibiotic is levofloxacin.

Uses

Broad-spectrum antibiotics are properly used in the following medical situations:

* Empirically prior to identifying the causative bacteria when there is a wide differential and potentially serious illness would result in delay of treatment. This occurs, for example, in meningitis, where the patient can become so ill that he/she could die within hours if broad-spectrum antibiotics are not initiated.

* For drug resistant bacteria that do not respond to other, more narrow-spectrum antibiotics.

* In super-infections where there are multiple types of bacteria causing illness, thus warranting either a broad-spectrum antibiotic or combination antibiotic therapy.

Examples

In medicine:

* amoxycillin
* levofloxacin, gatifloxacin, moxifloxacin

In veterinary medicine, Co-amoxiclav, (in small animals); penicillin & streptomycin and oxytetracycline (in farm animals); penicillin and potentiated sulfonamides (in horses).

Others:

* streptomycin
* tetracycline
* chloramphenicol

Slightly-Broad:

* ampicillin