| Popis: |
Fifty years ago the introduction of penicillin, followed by many other antibacterial agents, represented an often underestimated medical revolution. Indeed, until that time bacterial infections were the prime cause of mortality, especially in children and elderly patients. The discovery of numerous new substances and their development on an industrial scale comforted us with the illusion that bacterial infections were under control. However, the widespread and sometimes uncontrolled usage of these agents has led to the selection of bacteria resistant to practically all available antibiotics. Bacteria use three main resistance strategies (see Table 1): 1. modification of their permeability and drug accumulation 2. modification of antimicrobial targets, and 3. modification-inactivation of the antibiotic. |
