The Antibiotics

Wellcome in Apps The Antibiotic

The Antibiotics is a simple, searchable, pocket reference for the current NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde antimicrobial guidelines. It has a clean modern user interface. Best of all it's entirely free!

This app should prove invaluable to all general practitioners, physicians, junior doctors, nurses, pharmacists, other medical staff and healthcare professionals working within primary care. It contains up-to-date antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal and other antimicrobial management guidelines for the infections commonly encountered in adults and children.

The Antibiotics includes guidance for central nervous system, dental, genital tract, gastro-intestinal, HIV, immunocompromised, lower respiratory tract, skin/ soft tissue, tropical, upper respiratory tract and urinary tract infections in adults and children. Doses, frequencies, durations of treatment, first-line, second-line and penicillin allergic options are included.

Our aim is to improve the provision of healthcare. Our app collects anonymous usage data to help us improve the guidelines and the app. We are also interested on the global usage of antibiotics and the relationship with antibiotic resistance. If you do not want the app to collect anonymous usage data, this can be easily disabled within the app's preferences.

The Antibiotics is an official collaboration between:

- Dr Andrew Seaton, infectious diseases consultant at the NHS Glasgow Brownlee Centre for Infectious and Communicable Diseases and the NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde prescribing team

WITH

- Dr Samuel Leighton, a foundation junior doctor with an interest in app development, and Mr Michael Park, professional software developer both at the independent Scottish medical app developers Polwarth Medical Ltd.

The following information is a consensus guide. It is intended to aid selection of an

appropriate antibiotic

Diabetic foot infections

Antibiotic is an agent that weakens or destroys bacteria; antibiotics are medically used to treat various types of bacterial infections. The various types of antibiotics work either by preventing an infection from growing or by destroying an existing infection. Antibiotics are produced either from a mold or a fungus or are produced synthetically.

Question: What are the various types of antibiotics and what do they do?

Common forms of antibiotics include aminoglycosides, macrolides, penicillins, tetracyclines, and cephalosporins.

Aminoglycosides work by interfering with the protein formation of bacteria. Aminoglycosides include gentamicin, amikacin, and tobramycin. Side effects can include damage to the nerves of hearing and balance, as well as kidney injury.

Macrolide antibiotics interfere with the protein formation of bacteria during multiplication. Erythromycin is a macrolide. Side effects include gastrointestinal discomfort.

Penicillins (discovered by Sir Alexannder Fleming in 1928) work by damaging the cell walls of the invading bacteria as the bacteria reproduce. Penicillin G and V are widely used for streptococcal and other bacterial infections. Broad-spectrum penicillins, such as ampicillin and amoxicillin, are used on a variety of infections caused by gram-negative organisms. Hypersensitivity reactions, for example, a fever or a rash, are fairly common side effects of penicillin use. Severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) rarely occur, but can be life-threatening.

Tetracyclines, which are active against a wide range of bacteria and other organisms, are thought to prevent production of proteins in the invading bacterial cells. The tetracyclines include tetracycline and doxycycline. Side effects of therapy may include gastrointestinal irritation, sensitivity of the skin to sunlight, and liver and kidney injury. This group of drugs should not be administered during the last four to five months of pregnancy, nor should it be given to children before the age of eight years. Permanent discoloration of developing teeth may result.