Antiinfectives vs Antibiotics

Nurses Medications

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Hello.

I am a first year nurse working in a community hospital. What is the difference between an antiinfective and an antibioitic? I always look up meds I don't know and I have run across several that I have given that are labeled antiinfectives in my Mosby Drug book. I asked several nurses and no one knows. Can anyone help? It would be greatly appreciated.

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Anti-infective: Something capable of acting against infection, by inhibiting the spread of an infectious agent or by killing the infectious agent outright. Anti-infective is a general term that encompasses antibacterials, antibiotics, antifungals, antiprotozoans and antivirals.

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=2285

Antibiotic: A drug used to treat infections caused by bacteria and other microorganisms. Originally, an antibiotic was a substance produced by one microorganism that selectively inhibits the growth of another.

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=8121

Antibiotics can be batericidal (kills) or bateristatic (inhibits growth).

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