extended-spectrum agent
Quick Summary
Extended-spectrum agents are a type of antibiotic that, due to chemical modifications, can affect additional types of bacteria, particularly gram-negative bacteria. Antibiotics are chemical substances produced by living organisms, like microorganisms, that are harmful to other microorganisms. They revolutionized the treatment of bacterial infections but are ineffective against viruses.1
The development of antibiotics began with the discovery of penicillin in 1928 by Alexander Fleming. Since then, many other antibiotics have been developed, and their chemical structures have been modified to improve their effectiveness. Antibiotics can be categorized by their range of action: narrow-spectrum, broad-spectrum, and extended-spectrum.12
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