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Just a teeny tiny itty bitty hint of what is to come. Over 400 pages in all and much better illustrated than the last endeavor. The pharm chapter is new this time, as are a few others.
RR
Penicillin V Potassium (oral tablets)
Class: Antibiotic. On the WHO List of Essential Medications.
Pharmacodynamics: Bactericidal action against penicillin-sensitive microrganisms. Weakens the developing bacterial cell wall causing the death of the organism.
Pharmacokinetics: It is excreted through the kidneys with as much as 60-80% being excreted unchanged in crystalline form.
Indications: bacterial infections such as mild to moderate pneumonia, scarlet fever and skin, ear and strep throat infections. It is considered to be the drug of choice for non-bioterrorism related anthrax infections.
Dosage(s): Adults – 250 mg (400,000 units) or 500 mg (800,000 units) orally every 4 – 6 hours. May be taken with food but blood levels achieved are slightly higher if taken on an empty stomach.
Contraindications: severe cases of pneumonia, meningitis, arthritis, empyema or sepsis, or known allergy to medication. True anaphylactic reactions to oral penicillin are rare.
Common Side Effects: nausea, vomiting, epigastric distress or diarrhea. Mild rash is not a true allergic reaction. Can inactivate oral contraceptives during use.
Austere Production Potential: potentially very good given the right knowledge and means of production. Penicillium chrysogenum produces approximately 50,000 times more medication per volume than the original Penicillium notatum strain the drug was developed from. Not all bread or fruit molds are penicillium, and of those that are not all are the correct strain.
Tetracycline
Class: Antibiotic, classified as broad-spectrum. On the WHO List of Essential Medications.
Pharmacodynamics: Bacteriostatic, prevents replication and growth of the infecting microorganisms by interfering with protein synthesis.
Pharmacokinetics: Absorption takes place primarily in the stomach, duodenum and small intestine. Forms non-dissolvable complexes in the presence of calcium, magnesium, iron and aluminum. Meals of protein, fat or carbohydrate with reduce absorption by up to 50%; best taken on an empty stomach – either 1 hour before or 2 hours after meals - for that reason. Mostly excreted by the kidney and biliary routes. Must take with at least 8 ounces of fluids for bedtime dose. Do not take with oral contraceptives.
Indications: Indicated for bacterial infections involving the skin, respiratory and urinary tracts, intestines, genitalia and other systems. It does not treat viral infections. Occasionally used when other medications such as Penicillin and others cannot be safely for a particular patient.
Dosages: 500 mg taken by mouth every 6 hours for 7-21 days depending on infection being treated.
Longer course of treatment for anthrax. Only taken twice daily for skin infections.
Common Side Effects: nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, greatly increased skin sensitivity to sunlight.
Austere Production Potential: Good, assuming possession of the right knowledge and means. Nota cottage-level endeavor but possible in a non-modern setting.
Cephalexin
Class: Antibiotic. On the WHO List of Essential Medications.
Pharmacodynamics: Effective against most Gram positive bacteria and many Gram negative microorganisms. Inhibits cell wall synthesis.
Pharmacokinetics: filtered out by the kidneys and excreted unchanged
Indications: Bone, genitourinary and respiratory, skin and subcutaneous tissue infections, and acute prostatitis.
Dosages: Usual dose for all applications is 250 mg every 6 hours by mouth, but may also be taken as 500 mg every 12 hours, normally for 7 to 14 days. Pediatric dosing is considered weight-dependent. May be given without regard to meals.
Contraindications: Known hypersensitivity to cephalosporins. Should not be administered with Probenicid.
Side Effects: Most common is diarrhea, followed by nausea and vomiting. Rash and fever may occur. Allergy seen in less than 0.1% of patients, but rises to 1 – 10% of patients with Penicillin allergy.
Austere Production Potential: Unlikely owing to complexity.
RR
Penicillin V Potassium (oral tablets)
Class: Antibiotic. On the WHO List of Essential Medications.
Pharmacodynamics: Bactericidal action against penicillin-sensitive microrganisms. Weakens the developing bacterial cell wall causing the death of the organism.
Pharmacokinetics: It is excreted through the kidneys with as much as 60-80% being excreted unchanged in crystalline form.
Indications: bacterial infections such as mild to moderate pneumonia, scarlet fever and skin, ear and strep throat infections. It is considered to be the drug of choice for non-bioterrorism related anthrax infections.
Dosage(s): Adults – 250 mg (400,000 units) or 500 mg (800,000 units) orally every 4 – 6 hours. May be taken with food but blood levels achieved are slightly higher if taken on an empty stomach.
Contraindications: severe cases of pneumonia, meningitis, arthritis, empyema or sepsis, or known allergy to medication. True anaphylactic reactions to oral penicillin are rare.
Common Side Effects: nausea, vomiting, epigastric distress or diarrhea. Mild rash is not a true allergic reaction. Can inactivate oral contraceptives during use.
Austere Production Potential: potentially very good given the right knowledge and means of production. Penicillium chrysogenum produces approximately 50,000 times more medication per volume than the original Penicillium notatum strain the drug was developed from. Not all bread or fruit molds are penicillium, and of those that are not all are the correct strain.
Tetracycline
Class: Antibiotic, classified as broad-spectrum. On the WHO List of Essential Medications.
Pharmacodynamics: Bacteriostatic, prevents replication and growth of the infecting microorganisms by interfering with protein synthesis.
Pharmacokinetics: Absorption takes place primarily in the stomach, duodenum and small intestine. Forms non-dissolvable complexes in the presence of calcium, magnesium, iron and aluminum. Meals of protein, fat or carbohydrate with reduce absorption by up to 50%; best taken on an empty stomach – either 1 hour before or 2 hours after meals - for that reason. Mostly excreted by the kidney and biliary routes. Must take with at least 8 ounces of fluids for bedtime dose. Do not take with oral contraceptives.
Indications: Indicated for bacterial infections involving the skin, respiratory and urinary tracts, intestines, genitalia and other systems. It does not treat viral infections. Occasionally used when other medications such as Penicillin and others cannot be safely for a particular patient.
Dosages: 500 mg taken by mouth every 6 hours for 7-21 days depending on infection being treated.
Longer course of treatment for anthrax. Only taken twice daily for skin infections.
Common Side Effects: nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, greatly increased skin sensitivity to sunlight.
Austere Production Potential: Good, assuming possession of the right knowledge and means. Nota cottage-level endeavor but possible in a non-modern setting.
Cephalexin
Class: Antibiotic. On the WHO List of Essential Medications.
Pharmacodynamics: Effective against most Gram positive bacteria and many Gram negative microorganisms. Inhibits cell wall synthesis.
Pharmacokinetics: filtered out by the kidneys and excreted unchanged
Indications: Bone, genitourinary and respiratory, skin and subcutaneous tissue infections, and acute prostatitis.
Dosages: Usual dose for all applications is 250 mg every 6 hours by mouth, but may also be taken as 500 mg every 12 hours, normally for 7 to 14 days. Pediatric dosing is considered weight-dependent. May be given without regard to meals.
Contraindications: Known hypersensitivity to cephalosporins. Should not be administered with Probenicid.
Side Effects: Most common is diarrhea, followed by nausea and vomiting. Rash and fever may occur. Allergy seen in less than 0.1% of patients, but rises to 1 – 10% of patients with Penicillin allergy.
Austere Production Potential: Unlikely owing to complexity.
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