What is the Difference Between Multidrug Resistance and Cross Resistance?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The difference between multidrug resistance and cross resistance lies in the extent of an organism's resistance to multiple antimicrobial drugs and the mechanisms involved.
Multidrug Resistance (MDR):
- MDR organisms carry one or more resistance mechanisms, making them resistant to multiple antimicrobials.
- MDR bacteria can be difficult to treat and complicate efforts to reduce resistance.
- MDR can occur when a bacterium has several different resistance genes, each providing resistance to a particular antibiotic, or when a single resistance mechanism gives resistance to more than one antibiotic.
Cross Resistance:
- Cross resistance is a phenomenon where a single resistance mechanism confers resistance to multiple antimicrobial drugs.
- This can happen when a bacterium uses a single pump to pump out several different antibiotics.
- Cross resistance corresponds to resistance to all the antibiotics belonging to the same class due to a single mechanism.
In summary, multidrug resistance refers to an organism's resistance to multiple antimicrobial drugs, while cross resistance is a specific type of multidrug resistance where a single mechanism provides resistance to multiple drugs within the same class. Both phenomena can be problematic, making infections difficult to treat and facilitating the spread of antibiotic resistance.
Comparative Table: Multidrug Resistance vs Cross Resistance
Here is a table comparing multidrug resistance and cross resistance:
Feature | Multidrug Resistance | Cross Resistance |
---|---|---|
Definition | Phenomenon where a pathogen develops resistance to at least one antimicrobial drug in three or more antimicrobial drug classes. | Phenomenon where a pathogen develops resistance to several antimicrobial drugs due to a single mechanism. |
Mechanism | Resistance develops to multiple drugs in different classes, often due to multiple mutations or other genetic changes in the pathogen. | Resistance develops to multiple drugs in the same class due to a single genetic change or mechanism in the pathogen. |
Examples | Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and multidrug-resistant Candida. | Cross-resistance between rifamycins (rifampicin and rifabutin) in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. |
Prevalence | Multidrug resistance is more common and increasing due to misuse and overuse of antimicrobial drugs. | Cross resistance is less common but still a concern, as it can complicate treatment and lead to treatment failures. |
In summary, multidrug resistance is a broader term that refers to resistance to multiple antimicrobial drugs in different classes, often due to multiple genetic changes in the pathogen. Cross resistance, on the other hand, is a more specific phenomenon where a single genetic change in the pathogen leads to resistance to multiple drugs in the same class.
- Systemic Acquired Resistance vs Induced Systemic Resistance
- Cross Infection vs Secondary Infection
- MDR vs XDR-TB
- Vertical vs Horizontal Resistance
- Resistance vs Reactance
- Coinfection vs Superinfection
- Resistance vs Resistivity
- Insulin Resistance vs Diabetes
- Antibiotic vs Antimicrobial
- Resistance vs Resistor
- Equivalent Resistance vs Effective Resistance
- Drug vs Medicine
- Translocation vs Crossing Over
- MRSA vs MSSA
- Monoclonal Antibodies vs Polyclonal Antibodies
- Staph vs MRSA
- Monohybrid Cross vs Reciprocal Cross
- Resistance vs Capacitance
- Macrolides vs Tetracyclines