Hemolysis
Microbiologists use this term to mean "non-hemolysis", because they are too fancy to just say that.
What is gamma hemolysis?
These types of antimicrobials affect several different organisms, but they drive development of antimicrobial resistance and are tough on the body's microbiota.
What are broad spectrum antimicrobials?
This antibiotic inhibits cell wall synthesis by preventing crosslinking of peptidoglycan through the amino acid side chains.
What is penicillin?
Antimicrobial treatment or autoclaving surgical instruments are two ways of breaking the chain of infection at this link.
What is the infectious agent?
A strep colony surrounded by fully cleared areas on a blood agar plate is showing this pattern of hemolysis.
What is beta hemolysis?
(Bonus: What species would we assume this colony is?)
Patient compliance is a major problem with this drug resistant organism, because treatment can take 24 months!
What is drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis?
This antimicrobial blocks peptidoglycan synthesis at several points, and is often found on a restricted formulary to save it for patients who really need it?
What is vancomycin?
(Bonus: Name one condition that would qualify a patient to be prescribed vancomycin.)
Dracula coughing or wearing a mask are two ways of breaking the chain of infection at this link.
What is the portal of exit?
This type of hemolysis is caused by peroxidases and displays a green tinge on blood agar.
What is alpha hemolysis?
This diarrheal illness often strikes nursing home patients, so we clean long term care facilities with an EPA approved spore-killing disinfectent.
What is Clostridioides difficile?
(Bonus: What is a major risk for C. diif?)
These types of antimicrobials inhibit DNA gyrase, an enzyme that bacteria use to deal with their supercoiled DNA.
What are quinolones?
Handwashing, social distancing, and safe food handling are some of the many ways to break the chain of infection at this link.
What is the mode of transmission?
Hemolysis patterns are important for distinguishing different species of this bacterial genus.
What is Streptococcus?
One way antimicrobial resistance can work, this mechanism allows the bacteria to pump the drug out of the cell after it enters.
What is efflux?
Tetracyclines, aminiglycosides, macrolides, and chloramphenicol all inhibit protein synthesis by specifically targeting this structure in bacteria.
What are bacterial ribosomes?
(Bonus: Some of these drugs have poor "selective toxicity". What does this mean?)
Vaccination and regular medical checkups are two ways of breaking the chain of infection at this link.
What is a susceptible host?
These enzymes cause the complete lysis of RBCs characteristic of beta hemolysis.
What are hemolysins?
This is one of the few drug resistant pathogens that we can prevent through vaccination.
What is drug resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae?
This class of antimicrobials inhibits folic acid synthesis, which doesn't harm our cells because we get folic acid from our food.
What are sulfonamides?
Pest control or culling an infected herd are two ways of breaking the chain of infection at this link.
What is the reservoir?