Click here for more: Scholars nexus
NURS 3550 - Midterm Questions with Detailed Verified
Answers
Antibiotic Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Chemical produced by organism that harm other microbes
Antimicrobial Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Any agent that can kill/suppress microorganisms
Spectrum Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Broad: impacts many different microbes; Narrow: impacts few microbial
species ('specific')
Aerobic bacteria Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Need oxygen to survive, only found in oxygen environments
Anaerobic bacteria Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ In areas without oxygen as byproducts of oxygen are harmful to
them
Facultative bacteria Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Can exist with or without oxygen
Selective toxicity Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Ability to injure target organisms without harming host
Bactericidal Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Lethal to bacteria
Bacteriostatic Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Slows growth of bacteria, doesn't kill it (requires the immune system)
Trough level Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Amount of drug in serum blood sample before the next dose is due
(lowest level)
Peak level Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Amount of drug in a serum blood sample when it peaks (highest level)
Superinfection Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ A new infection that develops when treating a primary infection
Bacterial resistance Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Stems from changes in microbe NOT changes in drug; i.e bugs
become resistant; drugs do not become resistant
Penicillin Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Beta-lactam antibiotic; all beta-lactam antibiotics disrupt the cell wall
© Get it right 2025 Getaway - Stuvia US All rights reserved
, Click here for more: Scholars nexus
Penicillin's mechanism of action Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Inhibition of transpeptidases and activation of
autolysins
Penicillin binding proteins (PBPs) Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Molecular targets for penicillin, only expressed
during growth and division
Gram negative (GN) cell envelope Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Has another layer (an outer membrane) which is
harder to penetrate (penicillin not very effective)
Penicillinases Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Enzymes that breakdown the beta-lactam ring -> makes drug useless
Altered PBPs Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Low affinity for penicillin (and beta-lactam drugs); MRSA has altered
PBPs
Penicillin G Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Prototype, most used; bactericidal to many GP and some GN bacteria;
although narrow-spectrum
Penicillin V Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Stable in stomach acid and can be taken PO
Penicillinase-resistant Penicillins Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Used only with penicillinase-producing staphylococci
Broad-spectrum Penicillins Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Same spectrum as Pen G plus GN bacteria
Extended-spectrum Penicillin Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Increased spectrum, notably includes Pseudomonas
Aeruginosa, which is often seen in immunocompromised patients
Penicillin Allergy Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Not related to dose; must have been exposed to penicillin before
(could be diet or environmental)
Types of Penicillin reactions Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Immediate (2-30 minutes), Accelerated (1-72 hours)
Anaphylaxis Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Severe hypersensitivity reaction with 10% mortality.
Epinephrine Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Immediate treatment for anaphylaxis.
Cephalosporins Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Bactericidal beta-lactam antibiotics with five generations.
Cell Wall Synthesis Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Targeted by cephalosporins and penicillins.
Cephalosporin Resistance Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Inactivation by cephalosporinases affects efficacy.
1st Generation Cephalosporins Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Inactivated by cephalosporinases; ineffective.
© Get it right 2025 Getaway - Stuvia US All rights reserved
NURS 3550 - Midterm Questions with Detailed Verified
Answers
Antibiotic Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Chemical produced by organism that harm other microbes
Antimicrobial Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Any agent that can kill/suppress microorganisms
Spectrum Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Broad: impacts many different microbes; Narrow: impacts few microbial
species ('specific')
Aerobic bacteria Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Need oxygen to survive, only found in oxygen environments
Anaerobic bacteria Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ In areas without oxygen as byproducts of oxygen are harmful to
them
Facultative bacteria Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Can exist with or without oxygen
Selective toxicity Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Ability to injure target organisms without harming host
Bactericidal Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Lethal to bacteria
Bacteriostatic Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Slows growth of bacteria, doesn't kill it (requires the immune system)
Trough level Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Amount of drug in serum blood sample before the next dose is due
(lowest level)
Peak level Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Amount of drug in a serum blood sample when it peaks (highest level)
Superinfection Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ A new infection that develops when treating a primary infection
Bacterial resistance Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Stems from changes in microbe NOT changes in drug; i.e bugs
become resistant; drugs do not become resistant
Penicillin Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Beta-lactam antibiotic; all beta-lactam antibiotics disrupt the cell wall
© Get it right 2025 Getaway - Stuvia US All rights reserved
, Click here for more: Scholars nexus
Penicillin's mechanism of action Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Inhibition of transpeptidases and activation of
autolysins
Penicillin binding proteins (PBPs) Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Molecular targets for penicillin, only expressed
during growth and division
Gram negative (GN) cell envelope Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Has another layer (an outer membrane) which is
harder to penetrate (penicillin not very effective)
Penicillinases Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Enzymes that breakdown the beta-lactam ring -> makes drug useless
Altered PBPs Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Low affinity for penicillin (and beta-lactam drugs); MRSA has altered
PBPs
Penicillin G Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Prototype, most used; bactericidal to many GP and some GN bacteria;
although narrow-spectrum
Penicillin V Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Stable in stomach acid and can be taken PO
Penicillinase-resistant Penicillins Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Used only with penicillinase-producing staphylococci
Broad-spectrum Penicillins Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Same spectrum as Pen G plus GN bacteria
Extended-spectrum Penicillin Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Increased spectrum, notably includes Pseudomonas
Aeruginosa, which is often seen in immunocompromised patients
Penicillin Allergy Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Not related to dose; must have been exposed to penicillin before
(could be diet or environmental)
Types of Penicillin reactions Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Immediate (2-30 minutes), Accelerated (1-72 hours)
Anaphylaxis Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Severe hypersensitivity reaction with 10% mortality.
Epinephrine Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Immediate treatment for anaphylaxis.
Cephalosporins Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Bactericidal beta-lactam antibiotics with five generations.
Cell Wall Synthesis Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Targeted by cephalosporins and penicillins.
Cephalosporin Resistance Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Inactivation by cephalosporinases affects efficacy.
1st Generation Cephalosporins Ans: ✓ ✓ ✓ Inactivated by cephalosporinases; ineffective.
© Get it right 2025 Getaway - Stuvia US All rights reserved
