Practice Test Geeks(PSA) Prescribing Safety Assessment Practice Test
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Antimicrobial Prescribing Flashcards

6 cards from real PSA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 6 Antimicrobial Prescribing flashcards as text

  1. What is antimicrobial stewardship?

    Answer: A coordinated program to optimize antibiotic use, improve outcomes, and reduce antimicrobial resistance

    Antimicrobial stewardship programs promote appropriate antibiotic selection, dosing, and duration to maximize effectiveness while minimizing resistance development.

  2. Why should antibiotics not be prescribed for viral infections?

    Answer: Antibiotics only work against bacteria; using them for viral infections provides no benefit and promotes resistance

    Antibiotics target bacterial cellular mechanisms that viruses do not have. Unnecessary antibiotic use drives the development of resistant bacteria without providing any clinical benefit.

  3. What factors determine antibiotic selection?

    Answer: Likely pathogen, site of infection, local resistance patterns, patient allergies, and drug pharmacokinetics

    Rational antibiotic selection considers the probable causative organism, anatomical site, local antibiograms, patient factors (allergies, renal function), and drug properties.

  4. What is a narrow-spectrum vs. broad-spectrum antibiotic?

    Answer: Narrow-spectrum targets specific bacteria; broad-spectrum affects many types — narrow is preferred when the pathogen is known

    Narrow-spectrum antibiotics (like flucloxacillin for staphylococci) target specific organisms, preserving normal flora. Broad-spectrum antibiotics are used when the pathogen is unknown.

  5. What is C. difficile infection and how does antibiotic use contribute?

    Answer: An intestinal infection caused when antibiotics kill normal gut bacteria, allowing C. difficile overgrowth

    Antibiotics, especially broad-spectrum ones, can destroy normal gut flora, allowing Clostridioides difficile to proliferate and produce toxins causing severe diarrhea and colitis.

  6. What does 'empirical' antibiotic therapy mean?

    Answer: Starting antibiotic treatment based on clinical judgment before culture results are available

    Empirical therapy begins treatment based on the most likely pathogen and local resistance patterns while awaiting definitive culture and sensitivity results.