0
Why might you treat a bacterial infection but not a viral disease with an antibiotic?
Wiki User
∙ 6y ago
Antibiotics have no affect on a virus, only on bacteria.
Mandy Johnston
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoAntibiotics attack specific areas of bacteria cells to kill them. Viruses are not cellular and therefore do not have the components that an antibiotic targets.
Bacteria are living cells, antibiotics target the different weak spots in the cell which cause the bacteria to die.
Viruses are not truly living organisms. They infect other cells and use the cells machinery to replicate itself. They do not need oxygen or nutrients to survive. Because they are not truly living, they can not be killed. Viruses can only be disabled or prevented from replicating.
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
What might an increased number of monocytes in a blood sample indicate?
Multiple reasons as to Chronic Inflammatory disease Viral infection Bacterial Infection
What could be the reason if there is reports of bacterial susceptibility but the patient is not responding?
antibiotic was not taken properly or the bacteria have become resistant. might also be because of lab mistakes or infection from a different site. :)
Why are antibiotics used?
The proper usage of antibiotics is to stop acute bacterial infections. But they have also been use as a growth promoter in cattle and to prevent bacterial infection. Both of these uses accelerate bacterial evolution of antibiotic resistance. Sometime doctors have prescribed antibiotics to their patients with viral infections (which the antibiotics have no effect on) either because the patients insisted on taking antibiotics or to prevent a secondary bacterial infection from developing as a complication. Both of these uses accelerate bacterial evolution of antibiotic resistance. When prescribed an antibiotic it is essential that you take all the medication exactly as prescribed until you use it all up. Not doing so will frequently leave the last and most antibiotic resistant bacteria in your body and the infection might flare up again and that antibiotic would now be ineffective and a different stronger antibiotic that might have bad side effects might now be required! Due to improper usage of antibiotics there are now a few bacteria that are completely resistant to every antibiotic currently on the market, except for one: Vancomycin. Continued misuse could also rapidly produce Vancomycin resistant bacteria too meaning that eventually many bacterial infections would be as untreatable and often fatal as they were prior to 1942, when Penicillin was first introduced on the market.
What is the dosage of 500mg azitromicina?
Its an antibiotic, its commonly used for bacterial infections. Its also used for Chlamydia, so you might want to check with your girl/boy ;)
Can your child get high fever while on antibiotics?
It is possible for a child to get a fever after being on an antibiotic for three days. There are several reasons. A few of those reasons are that the child could be sick with a virus and not a bacteria, in which case the antibiotic would be useless. Another scenario is that the bacteria is resistant to the particular antibiotic and that a different one is needed. In either case, you should follow up with the child's physician.
What antibiotic is used to treat the flu?
You would not be given any antibiotic for use to treat a cold or flu. They are both viral infections, not bacterial infections. Antibiotics are only for bacterial infections. If you have a secondary bacterial infection with a viral infection, you might be prescribed an antibiotic to treat that secondary infection, but not for the virus itself.
Is periodontal disease viral or bacterial?
Bacterial in almost all cases, viral might occur in people with suppressed immune systems, but it is infrequent and is less often referred to as "periodontal disease".
Are antibotics used for inflammation or swelling?
Antibiotics are used to fight bacterial infection, but does not reduce swelling or inflammation in itself. If the swelling or inflammation is caused by a bacterial infection, a doctor might prescribe antibiotics to fight the infection, but something else for the other effects.
Can a bacterial infection cause failed drug test?
No, a bacterial infection cannot cause a failed drug test. Drug tests are designed to detect specific drugs or their metabolites in the body, not bacterial infections. However, certain medications used to treat bacterial infections might lead to false positives on drug tests.
What causes white blood cell count to be high?
inflammation in general might cause high WBC count which is always caused by infection, also some types of leukemia (bone morrow cancer) might do that as well but the striking feature here is that the cells are (most of the times) abnormal.
Why doesn't a cough go away after antibiotics?
If the medical condition was because of a bacterial infection, adequate antibiotics would treat the infection and lower the number of bacterias. However, cough is a natural protection against outside irritations. Irritation might persist after the infection. This is why, after an antibiotic treatment, cough might persist up to 2-4 weeks.
Is it safe to get a flu shot while taking ciprofloxacin?
Probably, but it may depend on why you are taking the Ciprofloxacin, in what stage of the infection you currently are (if you still have a high fever, etc.), and what, if any, underlying health or medical conditions you have. This antibiotic is used to treat bacterial infections. There are no known drug interaction issues between antibiotics and flu vaccinations. The question might be whether your body and immune system, that is actively fighting the bacterial infection can tolerate adding another organism to the mix that will also need your immune system to respond to create antibodies for the flu immunity as well as fight the bacteria. Ask the doctor who prescribed the antibiotic if it will be okay before going for the vaccination, or talk to the clinician who will administer the vaccine beforehand so they can evaluate if you should delay the vaccination until the bacterial infection is totally gone.
