Antibiotics are chemical agents that carefully kill the pathogens, mainly bacteria. Antibiotics help to block the growth of bacteria and kill it which then helps the body's immune system to defend against pathogens. Antibiotics are either bactericidal (destroy the bacteria) or bacteriostatic (slows down growth). (NPS Medicine Wise, 2016).
Antibiotics can work effectively depending on the spectrum of pathogens.Broad-spectrum agents can operate effectively under a wide variety of pathogens. These agents used to initialize the treatment prior to lab results. Narrow-spectrum agents used to treat specific type of bacterial organism. They’re used after being positively identified the pathogen via laboratory testing.(Martini and Nath, 2009) …show more content…
(2016), Antibiotics for respiratory tract infections. [Online] Available at: http://www.nps.org.au/medicines/infections-and-infestations/antibiotics/for-individuals/antibiotics-for-respiratory-tract-infections [Accessed 3 Apr.