The cell/chemotherapeutic and anti-infection drugs
Chemotherapeutic drugs - what are they?
● Drugs are used to destroy both organisms that invade the body and abnormal cells
within the body
● How they work:
○ Alter cellular function or disrupting cellular integrity, causing cell death
○ Prevent cellular reproduction, eventually leading to cell death
The Cell
● Most cells have the ability to reproduce themselves through the process of mitosis
● The life cycle of a cell, called the cell cycle which has 4 active phases and a resting
phase.
○ G0 phase- resting phase
○ G1- gathering phase
○ S phase- synthesis phase
○ G2- last substances needed for division are collected and produced
○ M phase- actual cell division occurs, producing two identical daughter cells
● G0- cell is stable, resting cells are stimulated to become active and regenerate the
cancer can return
● G1- stimulated to emerge from resting to gathering phase. Produces building blocks for
dna
● S- amount of cellular dna is doubled
● G2- mitotic spindles
● M- cell division, cell splits called mitosis
What goal we are trying to accomplish by using chemotherapeutic agents
● Chemotherapeutic drugs act on cells to cause cell death or alteration
● All properties of the drug that affect cells should be considered when administering a
chemotherapeutic agent
Anti- infective agents
● Do not possess total selective toxicity
● No anti infective drug has been developed that does not affect the host
● Children- use with caution, early exposure can lead to early sensitivity and resistant
strains (monitor hydration and nutritional status carefully)
● Adults
○ Drugs allergies and the emergence of resistant strains can be a big problem with
this group
○ Extreme caution in pregnant and nursing women (affect breast milk leading to
toxic effects for neonate)
● Older adults
○ Older patient: culture and sensitivity tests to determine the type and extent of
many infections
, ○ Susceptible to severe adverse GI, renal, and neurological effects and must be
monitored for nutritional status and hydration during drug therapy. Anti-infective
that adversely affect the liver and kidneys must be used with caution in older
patients, who may have decreased organ functions
● Narrow spectrum of activity
○ Some anti-infective are effective against only a few microorganisms
● Broad spectrum of activity -
○ other drugs interfere with biochemical reactions in many different kinds of
microorganisms
● Bactericidal or fungicidal-
○ some anti infective are so active against the infective micoransims cause the
death of the cells they affect
● Bacteriostatic or fungistatic-
○ some anti-infective are not as aggressive against invading organisms; they
interfere with the ability of the cells to reproduce or divide
If immunocompromised, the immune system may be incapable of dealing effectively with the
invading organisms. It is difficult to treat any infection in such patients for two reasons:
1. Anti-infective drugs cannot totally eliminate the pathogen without causing severe toxicity
in the host
2. These patients do not have the inflammatory or immune response in place to deal with
even a few invading organisms
Resistance and antibiotics
Preventing resistance
Patient reaching- don't use this drug for anything else. Finish taking the full amount of drugs.
Take as prescribed. Don't stop when feeling better. Finish medication
● Adverse reactions to antiinfective therapy-
○ Kidneys
○ GI toxicity
● Adverse reactions
○ Hypersensitivity reaction
■ Immediate or delayed allergic responses may occur
■ Anaphylaxis can occur
○ Superinfections
■ Destruction of normal flora
■ Vaginal yeast or GI yeast infections
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