Indications for use
Indications for use ( 5 Questions)
A nurse is educating a client who has been prescribed amoxicillin for a sinus infection.
The client asks, “Why do I have to take this drug three times a day?” What is the best response by the nurse?
This drug has a short half-life, so it needs to be taken frequently to maintain effective levels in your body. The half-life of amoxicillin is 61.3 minutes, which means that half of the drug is eliminated from the body in about an hour. To keep a constant amount of the drug in the blood and tissues, it needs to be taken every 8 hours or three times a day.
Choice B is wrong because the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) is the lowest concentration of an antibiotic that kills 99.9% of bacteria.
Amoxicillin has a low MBC, which means it is effective at killing bacteria at low doses.
Choice C is wrong because the therapeutic index (TI) is the ratio of the toxic dose to the effective dose of a drug.
Amoxicillin has a high TI, which means it has a wide margin of safety and is unlikely to cause toxicity.
Choice D is wrong because the spectrum of activity refers to the range of bacteria that an antibiotic can kill or inhibit.
Amoxicillin has a broad spectrum of activity, which means it can target many types of bacteria, including gram-positive and gram-negative ones.
This drug has a short half-life, so it needs to be taken frequently to maintain effective levels in your body. The half-life of amoxicillin is 61.3 minutes, which means that half of the drug is eliminated from the body in about an hour. To keep a constant amount of the drug in the blood and tissues, it needs to be taken every 8 hours or three times a day.
Choice B is wrong because the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) is the lowest concentration of an antibiotic that kills 99.9% of bacteria.
Amoxicillin has a low MBC, which means it is effective at killing bacteria at low doses.
Choice C is wrong because the therapeutic index (TI) is the ratio of the toxic dose to the effective dose of a drug.
Amoxicillin has a high TI, which means it has a wide margin of safety and is unlikely to cause toxicity.
Choice D is wrong because the spectrum of activity refers to the range of bacteria that an antibiotic can kill or inhibit.
Amoxicillin has a broad spectrum of activity, which means it can target many types of bacteria, including gram-positive and gram-negative ones.
Normal ranges for amoxicillin are 5 to 25 mcg/mL for peak levels and less than 0.5 mcg/mL for trough levels.
Peak levels are measured 1 to 2 hours after taking the drug, and trough levels are measured just before the next dose.