Antibiotics

MoonDancer

Hi I just have a curious question, and not looking for advice.
I know different types of antibiotics are used to treat different types of bacterial infections.

Say if someone was prescribed Monotrim for a kidney infection. Three days later they have an infected incision wound from surgery and was prescribed Flucillin and Calvepen. They have to finish the course of Monotrim while taking the two other antibiotics. So that's 3 antibiotics together.

The question I have is, what is the reasoning behind prescribing two penicillin based antibiotics together, why not just one?

And is it because of antibiotic resistance that one has to finish the complete course of Monotrim even though you are taking other antibiotics?

MrCreosote

The reasoning behind the two penicillins is to supposedly cover the two common sources of skin or wound infections:

Flucloxacillin for Staphylococcus
Phenoxymethylpenicillin (Calvepen) for Streptococcus

I say supposedly because flucloxacillin on its own should given adequate Strep cover. It's a common regimen in Ireland though.

Neither will be of much use against the usual UTI organisms like E coli or Klebsiella, hence the need to keep taking the course of trimethoprim (monotrim).

MoonDancer

Thats just what I was looking for, thanks very much!