How would the nurse describe selective toxicity?

Question

A) Selective toxicity interferes with a biochemical reaction common to many different organisms.
B) Selective toxicity will decrease invading bacteria by interfering with the pathogens' ability to reproduce.
C) Selective toxicity will eliminate bacteria by interrupting protein synthesis and damaging the pathogen's cell wall.
D) Selective toxicity is the ability of the drug to kill foreign cells without causing harm to one's own body cells.

Answer 1

D
Feedback:
The choice of antibiotics in a clinical situation is determined by assessing which drug will affect the causative organism and lead to the fewest adverse effects. Selective toxicity is the ability of the drug to kill foreign cells without causing harm to the human body cells. How the antibiotic works to kill bacteria varies by drug type and may reduce the ability to reproduce, damage the cell wall, or interfere with a biochemical reaction, but this is a description of how the antibiotic works and does not describe selective toxicity