Question

Your physician has prescribed penicillin for a possible infection by Mycoplasma. You should probably:

a. follow the prescribed regimen

b. look for another physician because penicillin is an antifungal agent

c. look for another physician because penicillin attaches to the 60S subunit of eukaryotic ribosomes

d. look for another physician because penicillin is ineffective against Mycoplasma

e. look for another physician because penicillin is effective against Mycoplasma only in amounts that are dangerous to humans

Answer 1

Pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae is routinely treated with antibiotics, although the disease is usually self-limiting. The disease is treated with macrolide, tetracycline, or fluoroquinolone classes of antibiotics. All mycoplasmas lack a cell wall and, therefore, all are inherently resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics (e.g., penicillin) (CDC).

Based on the above information the option: d. look for another physician because penicillin is ineffective against Mycoplasma is correct.