Bacteroides fragilis can be treated with which antibiotic?

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Multiple Choice

Bacteroides fragilis can be treated with which antibiotic?

Bacteroides fragilis is an obligate anaerobe, so antibiotics that need oxygen to enter the cell won’t be effective. Metronidazole is uniquely activated inside anaerobic bacteria, where it is reduced to reactive species that damage DNA and kill the organism. This makes metronidazole a reliable choice for anaerobic infections like those caused by B. fragilis. Aminoglycosides, by contrast, require oxygen for uptake and are ineffective against anaerobes. Piperacillin-tazobactam and carbapenems can also treat B. fragilis, but metronidazole is the classic agent targeted specifically at anaerobic pathogens.

Bacteroides fragilis is an obligate anaerobe, so antibiotics that need oxygen to enter the cell won’t be effective. Metronidazole is uniquely activated inside anaerobic bacteria, where it is reduced to reactive species that damage DNA and kill the organism. This makes metronidazole a reliable choice for anaerobic infections like those caused by B. fragilis. Aminoglycosides, by contrast, require oxygen for uptake and are ineffective against anaerobes. Piperacillin-tazobactam and carbapenems can also treat B. fragilis, but metronidazole is the classic agent targeted specifically at anaerobic pathogens.

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