Drug derived from Streptomyces venezuelae?

Appeared in: KPSC Staff Nurse - 2021

Explanation

Chloramphenicol is a broad-spectrum antibiotic known for its effectiveness against a wide range of bacteria.
It was originally isolated from the soil actinomycete Streptomyces venezuelae in 1947.
Its mechanism of action involves inhibiting bacterial protein synthesis by binding to the 50S ribosomal subunit.

Option A: Streptomycin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic, but it is derived from a different species, Streptomyces griseus.
Option B: Streptokinase is not an antibiotic and is not derived from the Streptomyces genus. It is a thrombolytic (clot-busting) enzyme produced by various species of Streptococcus bacteria.
Option D: Tetracycline is another class of broad-spectrum antibiotics, but it is produced by different species within the same genus, primarily Streptomyces aureofaciens and Streptomyces rimosus.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Microbial origins of antibiotics helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Chloramphenicol's use is highly restricted due to its risk of serious and potentially fatal toxicities, including aplastic anemia and gray baby syndrome in neonates.
Nurses administering Chloramphenicol must monitor the patient's complete blood count (CBC) regularly for any signs of bone marrow suppression, such as anemia, leukopenia, or thrombocytopenia.
Patient education should include reporting symptoms like unusual fatigue, pallor, fever, sore throat, or easy bruising/bleeding immediately.

How to Approach the Question

This is a factual recall question from pharmacology that requires specific knowledge of drug origins.
First, identify the key microorganism in the question stem: Streptomyces venezuelae.
Next, evaluate each option to determine which drug is specifically produced by this organism.
Differentiate between drugs that come from the same genus (Streptomyces) but different species (e.g., venezuelae vs. griseus).
Also, distinguish between drugs from entirely different genera (Streptomyces vs. Streptococcus).
Recalling or looking up the source for each drug will lead to the correct answer.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Qyt12XEaNHeK1HS9iOxW1L

E6 Pharmacology KD Tripathi Essentials 9e Part 3 p. 80-82

E6 Pharmacology Katzung 16e p. 1279-1281

Practise the full KPSC Staff Nurse - 2021

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.