South Dakota Medication AidePractice Test

Neomycin, also known as Neo-Fradin, belongs to the aminoglycoside class of antibiotics. This classification is significant because aminoglycosides are characterized by their mechanism of action, which involves inhibiting protein synthesis in bacteria. They are generally effective against gram-negative bacteria and can be used topically or systemically to treat various infections.

In the context of other drug classes, cephalosporins (the first option) are a different group of antibiotics that also target bacterial cell wall synthesis but have a different structure and spectrum of activity. Beta-lactams (the second option) refer to a broader class that includes penicillin and cephalosporins, focusing on interfering with cell wall synthesis as well, but they do not cover the aminoglycosides. Tetracyclines (the fourth option) are distinguished by their ability to inhibit protein synthesis as well, but through a different mechanism compared to aminoglycosides, and are effective against a different range of bacteria.

Thus, understanding the unique properties and uses of aminoglycosides like neomycin helps in selecting appropriate antibiotic therapy based on the type of infection being treated.