Chapter 05: Anti-infective Drugs: Antibacterial, Antitubercular, and Antifungal Agents Visovsky: Introduction to Clinical Pharmacology, 9th Edition

A patient receiving antibiotics for the treatment of a bacterial wound infection develops a secondary fungal infection. The patient asks you to explain why the fungal infection developed. What is your best response? a. “Antibiotics can upset the balance of normal flora and allow yeast or fungus to grow.” b. “Antibiotic resistance has allowed the bacteria in your wound to become a fungus.” c. “Genetic changes induced by antibiotics lead to this fungal infection.” d. “There is no known cause for this secondary fungal infection.” ANS: A Antibiotic use can upset the normal flora balance in the body and cause yeast or fungal infections to occur. Candida is a common body yeast and often overgrows to cause a fungal infection. When a person is given antibiotics to kill infectious bacteria, the normal flora is killed off as well.