Question #5 explained
Which of the following organisms is penicillin likely to be an option for?
A. Treponema pallidum (Syphilis) – CORRECT: penicillin is widely considered the drug of choice for syphilis (especially neurosyphilis)
B. Streptococcus pyogenes (flesh eating bacteria) – CORRECT: beta-hemolytic Streptococci (e.g., S. pyogenes & S. agalactiae) are most commonly penicillin sensitive, while alpha-hemolytic Streptococci (e.g., S. pneumoniae & Viridans Streptococci) may be resistant
C. Clostridium perfingens (gas gangrene) – CORRECT: penicillin is widely considered the drug of choice for this organism and may be combined with clindamycin when used for this purpose, because clindamycin helps inhibit toxins
D. methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) – INCORRECT: MSSA can be penicillin sensitive, but the vast majority in USA are resistant to penicillin due to penicillinase production