# Current Trends in Antibiotic Therapy and Resistance: A Comparative Study of Various Spectrums

**Authors:** Maryam Atta, Asma Atta, Aeman Choudhary, Amara Amjad, Samreen Ameen, Shoukat Hussain, Marriam Khan

PMC · DOI: 10.7759/cureus.81956 · 2025-04-09

## TL;DR

This study compares different types of antibiotics to understand resistance patterns and improve treatment strategies.

## Contribution

The paper provides a comparative analysis of narrow-, broad-, and extended-spectrum antibiotics to inform antibiotic stewardship.

## Key findings

- Broad-spectrum antibiotics like ceftriaxone and penicillin were most commonly prescribed.
- Resistance rates were highest for Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae.
- Antibiotic resistance varied significantly across drug classes, with penicillins and cephalosporins showing the highest resistance.

## Abstract

Background

The global public health concern posed by antibiotic resistance is threatening the usefulness of existing therapies. This calls for an urgent reconsideration of the contemporary trends in antibiotic usage. This study compares narrow-, broad-, and extended-spectrum antibiotics to elucidate resistance patterns, evaluate the therapeutic outcomes, and suggest new ways for combating resistance.

Methods

The research was analyzed based on 1,050 observations of demographic, clinical, diagnostic, laboratory, and therapeutic parameters. The analysis of effectiveness, safety, and resistance rates was statistically evaluated across different antibiotic spectra and healthcare settings.

Results

According to reviews of recorded patient entries encompassing 1,050 files, broad-spectrum antibiotics distributed by pharmacies, particularly ceftriaxone (27.9%), were mostly medically prescribed. A history of previous infections was reported in 67.5% of the patients. The antibiotics ceftriaxone and penicillin were the most widely used. The patient care was equally divided into standalone, community based, and hospital based. High-dose drugs were administered to 36.5% of patients; on average, treatment effectiveness is 77.43% with safety rates of 84.77%. The average diagnosis delay was four days. Most of the identified agents were Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus. The overall resistance rate was 27.95%. The highest resistance was noted against S. aureus and K. pneumoniae. Resistance varied widely across classes of antibiotics, with penicillins and cephalosporins showing the highest rates. The burden of comorbidities in terms of diabetes, heart diseases, and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases has been of particular concern, as seen in patients.

Conclusions

The results stress the urgent need to promote antibiotic stewardship programs and establish precise methods in medicine. This comparison of antibiotic spectra offers actionable insights to inform treatment and policy considerations, especially in areas where resistance rates are considerably high.

## Linked entities

- **Chemicals:** ceftriaxone (PubChem CID 5479530), penicillin (PubChem CID 2349)
- **Diseases:** diabetes (MONDO:0005015)
- **Species:** Escherichia coli (taxon 562), Klebsiella pneumoniae (taxon 573), Staphylococcus aureus (taxon 1280)

## Full-text entities

- **Diseases:** diabetes (MESH:D003920), chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (MESH:D029424), infections (MESH:D007239), heart diseases (MESH:D006331)
- **Species:** Escherichia coli (E. coli, species) [taxon 562], Staphylococcus aureus (species) [taxon 1280], Klebsiella pneumoniae (species) [taxon 573], Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12063558