Unit 1 Description of a Pharmacy Grammar

Antimicrobial, antiviral and antiparasitic remedies

Remedies having antimicrobial action are divided into two groups. The first group includes drugs, which have no selective antimicrobial action. They eliminate most microorganisms. They include antiseptics and remedies for disinfection.

Antiseptics are the drugs of external use, usually. They are applied on the covering tissues (skin, mucous). Some antiseptics are used to make an influence on the microorganisms, localizing in the gastrointestinal tract and urinary system. According to their concentration they may have bacteriostatic or bactericidal action.

Disinfection drugs are used for disinfection of medical equipment, apparatuses, rooms and patient’s excretions. They have an immediate effect. They are used, as a rule, in bactericidal concentrations and applied to prevent infection spreading.

The ultimate board between the antiseptics and disinfecting agents is not a given thing, because many remedies used in certain amounts act as antiseptics and in greater amounts – as disinfecting agents.

The second group includes antimicrobial drugs of selective action, which belong to the chemotherapeutical drugs. The influence on the concrete kinds of microorganisms is typical for this group of remedies. The main characteristic of these is a great scope of therapeutical action. The last determines using the meaning of the diapason between the bacteriostatic concentrations and the concentrations, toxic for the microorganisms. The chemotherapeutical remedies are for treating and prophylaxes of infections and also for the sanitation of the carriers of infection.