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Bactericidal Antibiotics & Bacteriostatic Antibiotics

What is the difference between bacteriostatic and bactericidal drugs?
Bactericidal antibiotics kill bacteria directly, and bacteriostatic antibiotics stop bacteria from growing. Another important thing to remember about antibiotics is that they don't all work against all types of bacteria.

Bactericidal Drugs

Bactericidal agents is a one type of antibiotic which kills bacteria directly. The antibiotic polymyxin B injures the plasma membrane of bacteria, allowing their contents to leak out. Bactericides includes disinfectants, antibiotics or antiseptics.
The distinction between bactericidal and bacteriostatic agents appears to be clear according to the basic/clinical definition, but this only applies under strict laboratory conditions and it is important to distinguish microbiological and clinical definitions.
Bacteriostatic agents have been effectively used for treatment that are considered to require bactericidal activity.Antibiotics that inhibit cell wall synthesis: 
the Beta-lactam antibiotics (penicillin derivatives (penams), cephalosporins (cephems), monobactams, and carbapenems) and vancomycin.
Also bactericidal are daptomycin, fluoroquinolones, metronidazole, nitrofurantoin, co-trimoxazole, telithromycin.

Bacteriostatic Drugs

Bacteriostatic agent is a one type of antibiotic which inhibits the growth of bacteria. The bacteria don't die, but they can't grow or replicate either. Disinfectants, antiseptics, bacteriostatic antibiotics and preservatives can be distinguished depending upon their application.
Bacteriostatic antibiotics limit the growth of bacteria by interfering with bacterial protein production, DNA replication, or other aspects of bacterial cellular metabolism. They must work together with the immune system to remove the microorganisms from the body. Bacteriostats are often used in plastics to prevent growth of bacteria on surfaces. Bacteriostats commonly used in laboratory work include sodium azide (which is acutely toxic) and thiomersal (which is a mutagen in mammalian cells). Depending on their application, bacteriostatic antibiotics, disinfectants, antiseptics and preservatives can be distinguished.


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