To provide a comprehensive overview of this topic would be impossible given the complexity of the subject and the medical background of the target audience. However, to provide some introductory information along with orientation to a few applicable antibiotic agents is within the expanding scope of the prolonged prehospital care provider, and the purpose of this article. Common Infectious Entities Infections are typically categorized according to the identity of the infecting organism. General categories include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. Of these, it is the bacteria that is the primary focus of this discussion.
Bacteria are single-celled animals.
Their numbers are innumerable. They inhabit our skin, mucous membranes, and a good portion of our intestines. They are found throughout our environment and in virtually every climatic condition on earth. In short, you simply cannot go through this world without intimate contact with bacteria. Bacteria cause disease when they invade normal healthy tissues.