Deck 12: Antimicrobial Therapy

Question 1

Literally,an antibiotic is

A)a substance that kills bacteria but not viruses.
B)a chemical that inhibits a microorganism,but doesn't necessarily kill it.
C)any substance that inhibits or kills a microorganism.
D)a substance produced by a microorganism that kills or inhibits other microorganisms.
E)none of the above.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Aminoglycosides are not usually prescribed for patients

A)who have impaired kidney function.
B)who suffer from asthma or hay fever.
C)who are immunodeficient.
D)with high blood pressure.
E)who have pneumonia.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

An antimicrobial drug that has a broad spectrum of activity

A)affects bacteria and viruses.
B)is active against a number of different bacteria.
C)affects all kinds of microorganisms including protozoa.
D)is bactericidal and bacteriostatic.
E)all of the above.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

A bactericidal drug

A)is effective against a range of microorganisms.
B)inhibits bacterial replication.
C)inhibits bacterial growth.
D)kills bacteria.
E)inhibits protein synthesis in bacteria.

Question 5

The generic name for a drug is

A)the name given by the first company to market it.
B)the chemical name of the active compound.
C)the name of the person who discovered the drug.
D)a name that reflects how it affects microorganisms.
E)the name of the genus of bacteria which it affects.

Question 6

Beta-lactamases are

A)human cell proteins that break down antibiotics.
B)substances that inhibit the action of aminoglycosides.
C)drugs that inhibit protein synthesis in bacteria.
D)bacterial enzymes that inactivate some penicillins.
E)human enzymes that inactivate lactam antibiotics.

Question 7

Cephalosporins

A)are synthetic antimicrobial drugs.
B)are infrequently used because of their toxicity.
C)inhibit peptidoglycan synthesis.
D)only affect Gram-positive organisms.
E)are antifungal drugs.

Question 8

The basis for the selective toxicity of tetracyclines is that they

A)are bacteriostatic.
B)bind strongly to bacterial ribosomes.
C)interfere with cell wall synthesis.
D)can be taken orally.
E)do not induce resistance.

Question 9

Which genus of bacteria is a major source of antibiotics?

A)Mycobacterium.
B)Streptomyces.
C)Staphylococcus.
D)Saccharomyces.
E)Nocardia.

Question 10

Which of the following antibiotics does NOT inhibit cell wall synthesis?

A)Penicillin.
B)Vancomycin.
C)Carbapenem.
D)Gentamicin.
E)Cephalosporin.

Question 11

Chloramphenicol is an antibacterial compound which

A)is mainly used in topical eye applications.
B)has a narrow spectrum of activity.
C)is bactericidal and affects protein synthesis.
D)causes suppression of white blood cell synthesis.
E)all of the above.

Question 12

The first antimicrobial drug used to combat infection,in particular syphilis,was

A)aspirin.
B)penicillin.
C)morphine.
D)salvarsan.
E)sulfanilamide.

Question 13

Selective toxicity of an antimicrobial drug refers to its ability to

A)kill Gram-positive bacteria but not Gram-negatives.
B)kill or inhibit microorganisms without harming host cells.
C)inhibit the action of toxins produced by bacteria.
D)affect pathogens but not the normal microbiota.
E)selectively treat certain diseases.

Question 14

Erythromycin

A)is an antimicrobial drug that enters red cells.
B)has a narrow spectrum of activity.
C)may be used in people with penicillin allergy.
D)is an inhibitor of nucleic acid synthesis.
E)all of the above.

Question 15

Carbapenems

A)are synthetic antimicrobial drugs.
B)are infrequently used because of their toxicity.
C)inhibit protein synthesis.
D)are resistant to all beta-lactamases.
E)have a narrow spectrum of activity.

Question 16

Which of the following statements about tetracyclines is TRUE?

A)They are broad spectrum,bacteriostatic drugs.
B)They are useful in the treatment of gonorrhoea and chlamydia.
C)They may cause discolouration of teeth in children.
D)They are used as prophylaxis for malaria.
E)All of the above.

Question 17

One of the side effects of using aminoglycoside antibiotics is

A)kidney failure.
B)skin rashes.
C)allergic reaction.
D)high blood pressure.
E)all of the above.

Question 18

Aminoglycosides

A)affect protein synthesis by causing misreading of messenger RNA.
B)can have serious side effects such as nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity.
C)are often used synergistically with another antimicrobial drug.
D)are mostly administered intravenously or intramuscularly.
E)all of the above.

Question 19

Tetracyclines are antimicrobial drugs which are

A)narrow spectrum and cause discolouration to children's teeth.
B)broad spectrum and inhibit folic acid synthesis.
C)bactericidal and inhibit protein synthesis.
D)bacteriostatic and broad spectrum.
E)bactericidal and inhibit cell wall synthesis.

Question 20

The reason why some antimicrobial drugs have a wider spectrum of activity than others is

A)related to the mechanism of action of the drug.
B)dependent on the ability of the drug to reach the site of the infection.
C)because some drugs target numerous metabolic pathways.
D)dependent on whether the drug is bactericidal or bacteriostatic.
E)all of the above.

Question 21

The antiviral drug that is most effective for herpes infections and shingles is

A)aciclovir.
B)amantadine.
C)interferon.
D)oseltamivir.
E)none of the above.

Question 22

Which of the following is an anti-malarial drug?

A)chloroquine.
B)mefloquine.
C)artemisinin.
D)doxycycline.
E)all of the above.

Question 23

A bacterium that is naturally resistant to many antibiotics and often causes serious infections in burns patients is

A)Streptococcus pyogenes.
B)Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
C)Staphylococcus epidermidis.
D)Escherichia coli.
E)Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Question 24

Prescription of an antimicrobial drug for a patient without knowing the cause of infection is

A)an inappropriate use of a drug.
B)unlikely to effectively treat the infection.
C)likely to cause severe side effects.
D)called empirical therapy.
E)all of the above.

Question 25

A possible side effect of penicillin therapy is

A)neurological disturbance.
B)discolouration of the teeth.
C)renal impairment.
D)anaphylactic shock.
E)all of the above.

Question 26

Development of resistance to antibacterial drugs

A)is enhanced when they are over-used or misused.
B)would be much less common if the drugs were not used.
C)is usually a result of spontaneous mutation in the bacteria.
D)is common in hospital organisms.
E)all of the above.

Question 27

Fungal infections are difficult to treat because

A)all fungal infections are opportunistic.
B)many of the antifungal drugs are toxic to humans.
C)fungal infections only occur in immunocompromised patients.
D)fungal spores are everywhere in the environment.
E)all of the above.

Question 28

The use of a drug to prevent an infection is called

A)systemic chemotherapy.
B)deliberate chemotherapy.
C)preparative chemotherapy.
D)prophylactic chemotherapy.
E)none of the above because antimicrobials are only used to treat infections.

Question 29

The 'half-life' of an antimicrobial drug refers to the time that it takes for

A)the drug to kill half the pathogens which are present.
B)half the drug to break down during storage.
C)the concentration of the drug in the bloodstream to fall to half its original level.
D)half the drug to be absorbed from the intestine.
E)half the target bacteria to be killed.

Question 30

Resistance to antibacterial drugs occurs

A)because the normal microbiota are destroyed by the antibacterial drugs.
B)when antibacterials are prescribed indiscriminately.
C)because some people refuse to take the drugs.
D)when synthetic drugs are used rather than naturally occurring ones.
E)because people do not take these drugs when needed.

Question 31

Bacteria can become resistant to an antibiotic that is regularly used because of

A)selective pressure.
B)synergism.
C)host resistance.
D)mutualism.
E)all of the above.

Question 32

Synergism is

A)the increase in effect obtained by using two or more drugs together.
B)interference between two drugs.
C)the development of resistance when two or more drugs are used at the same time.
D)inhibition of development of resistance.
E)transfer of resistance from one bacterium to another.

Question 33

Which of the following statement is TRUE?

A)Using two antimicrobial drugs at the same time always gives a better result.
B)Sometimes the action of one drug is enhanced in the presence of another one.
C)Antibiotics should not be administered until the results of the sensitivity tests are known.
D)Bacteriostatic drugs are preferable to use in immunocompromised patients.
E)Using two drugs at the same time increases the risk of development of resistance.

Question 34

Interferon is a

A)glycoprotein produced in response to viral infection.
B)protein that transmits infection from one cell to another.
C)substance that transforms cancer cells.
D)naturally occurring protein produced by red blood cells.
E)drug that is effective against most viruses.

Question 35

The most effective drugs against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)are the ones that

A)inhibit the transcription of DNA to RNA.
B)inhibit the enzyme reverse transcriptase.
C)inhibit the enzyme thymidine kinase.
D)affect the assembly of new viral particles.
E)prevent binding of the virus to T cells.

Question 36

A reverse transcriptase inhibitor,such as zidovudine,is used to treat

A)any viral infection.
B)human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)infection.
C)most protozoal infections.
D)some fungal infections.
E)any systemic infection.

Question 37

Combination therapy is used for treating HIV infection

A)because it is a life-threatening disease.
B)because multiple viruses are involved.
C)to prevent development of resistance to each drug.
D)because it is not known which drug will be most effective.
E)all of the above.

Question 38

Quinolones,such as ciprofloxacin,are useful antimicrobial drugs because

A)they don't cause any side effects.
B)they have a narrow spectrum of activity.
C)bacteria haven't yet developed any resistance to them.
D)they specifically act on bacterial DNA enzymes.
E)all of the above.

Question 39

The main reason there are very few effective antiviral drugs is because

A)viruses cannot be cultured in the laboratory to determine their sensitivity to antiviral drugs.
B)viruses are too simple to be attacked by a chemical compound.
C)viruses use the host's metabolic machinery so there are few points of selective attack.
D)viruses are difficult to identify under the light microscope.
E)it is too expensive to develop and test them.

Question 40

Which of the following statements about metronidazole (Flagyl®)is TRUE?

A)It is used to treat anaerobic bacterial infections.
B)Patients should avoid drinking alcohol when taking it.
C)It is a broad spectrum antimicrobial drug.
D)It is used to treat Giardia infections.
E)All the above.

Question 41

Empirical treatment means that

A)a 'best guess' for treatment is made based on a patient's signs and symptoms.
B)no treatment is started until the laboratory results are known.
C)only topical drugs can be used.
D)several drugs are used at the same time.
E)a standard treatment is applied regardless of a patient's age or symptoms.

Question 42

An extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)is

A)a broad spectrum antibacterial drug.
B)a broad spectrum antiviral drug.
C)a semi-synthetic antimicrobial drug.
D)an enzyme that stops drugs entering bacterial cells.
E)an enzyme that inactivates penicillins and cephalosporins.

Question 43

Which of the following is a mechanism used by bacteria to develop resistance to an antibacterial drug?

A)Alteration of membrane permeability to a drug.
B)Mutation.
C)Alteration of a drug binding site.
D)Production of an enzyme against a drug.
E)All of the above.