Drug used to kill microorganisms or stop their growth
"Microbicide" redirects here. For microbicides that target STDs, see Microbicides for sexually transmitted diseases.
An antimicrobial is an agent that kills microorganisms (microbicide) or stops their growth (bacteriostatic agent).[1] Antimicrobial medicines can be grouped according to the microorganisms they act primarily against. For example, antibiotics are used against bacteria, and antifungals are used against fungi. They can also be classified according to their function. The use of antimicrobial medicines to treat infection is known as antimicrobial chemotherapy, while the use of antimicrobial medicines to prevent infection is known as antimicrobial prophylaxis.[2]
The main classes of antimicrobial agents are disinfectants (non-selective agents, such as bleach), which kill a wide range of microbes on non-living surfaces to prevent the spread of illness, antiseptics (which are applied to living tissue and help reduce infection during surgery), and antibiotics (which destroy microorganisms within the body). The term antibiotic originally described only those formulations derived from living microorganisms but is now also applied to synthetic agents, such as sulfonamides or fluoroquinolones. Though the term used to be restricted to antibacterials (and is often used as a synonym for them by medical professionals and in medical literature), its context has broadened to include all antimicrobials. Antibacterial agents can be further subdivided into bactericidal agents, which kill bacteria, and bacteriostatic agents, which slow down or stall bacterial growth. In response, further advancements in antimicrobial technologies have resulted in solutions that can go beyond simply inhibiting microbial growth. Instead, certain types of porous media have been developed to kill microbes on contact.[3] Overuse or misuse of antimicrobials can lead to the development of antimicrobial resistance.[4]
^"Antimicrobial". Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Archived from the original on 24 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-02.
^Leekha, Surbhi; Terrell, Christine L.; Edson, Randall S. (February 2011). "General Principles of Antimicrobial Therapy". Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 86 (2): 156–167. doi:10.4065/mcp.2010.0639. PMC 3031442. PMID 21282489.
^"Antimicrobial Porous Media | Microbicidal Technology | Porex Barrier Technology". www.porex.com. Archived from the original on 2017-03-03. Retrieved 2017-02-16.
^"Antimicrobial resistance". who.int. World Health Organization. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
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Jacobs M (2005). "Worldwide overview of antimicrobial Resistance.". International Symposium on Antimicrobial Agents and Resistance. Drugs. pp. 542–546...
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injections. As of October 2008[update], the global problem of advancing antimicrobial resistance has led to a renewed interest in its use. Fusidic acid is...
to treat animals compared with humans, worldwide an estimated 73% of antimicrobials (mainly antibiotics) are consumed by farm animals. Furthermore, a 2015...
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