Penicillin: what it is, health risks, negative effects and curiosities

THE penicillin is an antibiotic that directly attacks infectious bacteria in the human body, it is used in the treatment of DSTS and Heart valve infections among other infections, let's know a little about this antibiotic?

PENICILLIN, WHAT IS IT?

Before delving into the characteristics of the drug, it is important to mention how its impressive and unconventional, and even accidental, discovery came about. The antibiotic was discovered by the physician and bacteriologist Alexandre Fleming, in 1928, he researched substances that were capable of fighting bacteria infectious to human health, during this experiment process, he decided to take some time away from research, when he finally returned he found something extraordinary, the substances found were covered by moulds, in the place where there was fungus there was a kind of transparent loop around that contained bactericidal substances.

With frequent studies of this mold, it was concluded that there was a species of genus that contained substances capable of eliminating these bacteria, receiving the name of penicillin, it only became known to the population in 1940, being distributed for necessary treatments, being considered a magic bullet in the era.

The following is an image of the antibiotic's molecular structure:

HEALTH RISKS:

As any other remedy, if used indiscriminately and continuously by people, it can aggravate the case of infection, as the antibiotic will no longer have no effect in combating infectious bacteria, on the contrary, the bacteria, faced with this effect, becomes more and more resistant, numerous, accommodated and stronger. That's why most of the times we hear that phrase "Wow, this drug is not working for my problem", this could be the use drug abuse, it is important to emphasize that it is contraindicated in patients who have severe allergic cases, especially allergy to medication. As many people think, it is not contraindicated in some cases and can be used with medical care, during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Penicillin releases enzymes in our bodies capable of fighting bacteria, in addition to being used in the treatment of diseases sexually transmitted infections and heart valve infections, can be used in several other types of infections, such as throat, pneumonia, meningitis, sinusitis, rheumatic fever, urinary infection, among others.

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NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF PENICILLIN

If you have a hypersensitivity to the drug, it can cause very serious effects, such as anaphylaxis, which is a very serious allergic reaction, causing swelling facial and can lead to death in a few minutes, and it is very common to occur these types of cases, which may present more than 2 million patients per year in the Brazil.

• It can also cause nephritis, which is constant inflammation of the kidneys,
• Leukopenia, which is the low levels of white blood cells in the blood, can interfere with the fight against infections with this factor.
• Thrombocytopenia, which is the decrease in platelets in the blood, caused by side effects of medications in the blood

Faced with this problem, ANVISA in 2010 prohibited the sale of these antibiotics, only through medical prescriptions.

CURIOSITIES

• The first to use the antibiotic to treat an infection was pathologist Dr. Cecil George, who cured a serious eye infection of a baby boy named Peter.
• The use of penicillin in World War II was of great importance to cure wounds and infections caused by the war, there was a huge decrease in deaths.
• The number of pneumonia dropped considerably to 18% of cases, and amputation mortality decreased
• First antibiotic ever discovered that helped fight syphilis
• Remembering that the drug amoxicillin is derived from penicillin, its reaction is stronger and more powerful in the body, fighting greater numbers of bacteria in our body.

 Therefore, it is extremely important to use this medication consciously and accompanied by a doctor, so as not to result in more serious health problems in the future. Here's the tip!

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