A second infection that occurs during the course of an existing infection. The term usually refers to an infection by a microorganism that is resistant to drugs being used against the original infection.
n. an infection arising during the course of another infection and caused by a different microorganism, which is usually resistant to the drugs used to treat the primary infection. The infective agent may be a normally harmless inhabitant of the body that becomes pathogenic when other harmless types are removed by the drugs or it may be a resistant variety of the primary infective agent, such as *MRSA (see also meticillin).
n. a substance, produced by or derived from a microorganism, that destroys or inhibits the growth of other microorganisms. Antibiotics are used to treat infections caused by organisms that are sensitive to them, usually bacteria or fungi. They may alter the normal microbial content of the body (e.g. in the intestine, lungs, bladder) by destroying one or more groups of harmless or beneficial organisms, which may result in infections (such as thrush in women) due to overgrowth of resistant organisms. These side-effects are most likely to occur with broad-spectrum antibiotics (those active against a wide variety of organisms). Resistance may also develop in the microorganisms being treated; for example, through incorrect dosage or overprescription (see also superinfection). Antibiotics should not be used to treat minor infections, which will clear up unaided. Some antibiotics may cause allergic reactions. There is now a rising concern that many infectious organisms have developed resistance to the commonly used antibiotics, and that the world is in danger of running out of effective new pharmaceutical agents to take their place. See also aminoglycosides; antifungal; antiviral drug; cephalosporin; penicillin; quinolone; tetracyclines.... antibiotic
(methicillin) n. a semisynthetic penicillin that was originally used to treat infections by penicillin-resistant staphylococci. It has been superseded for this purpose by *flucloxacillin but continues to be used to test the drug sensitivity of staphylococci. Meticillin-resistant staphylococci (MRS) can be responsible for increasing rates of infection in hospitals. Until recently, such infections have responded to *vancomycin, but strains of bacilli have emerged that are resistant to vancomycin, giving rise to infections that are very difficult to treat. See also superinfection.... meticillin
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