colistin

[kuh-lis-tin]

noun

Pharmacology.

1. a toxic antibiotic polypeptide, C 45 H 85 O 10 N 13 , produced by the bacterium Bacillus colistinus, used in sulfate form against a broad spectrum of microorganisms and in the treatment of severe gastroenteritis.

Word History and Origins

Origin of colistin¹

1950–55; < New Latin colistinus epithet for a variety of Bacillus polymyxa, equivalent to coli- ( coliform ) + -stinus, apparently an arbitrarily chosen suffix; -in ²

Example Sentences

The study examined eight intravenous drugs active against carbapenem-resistant bacteria - ranging from older antibiotics including Colistin to newer ones such as Ceftazidime-avibactam.

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For example, colistin, one of the few gram-negative-only antibiotics approved for clinical use, can cause C. difficile-associated diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis, a potentially life-threatening complication.

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The drug also has toxic effects on the liver and kidney, and "thus colistin is typically utilized only as an antibiotic of last resort," the researchers wrote.

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County wastewater that were resistant to colistin, a last-resort antibiotic.

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Colistin is an old antibiotic that’s considered the last line of defense against certain infections, including those that are resistant to carbapenems, another last-resort class of antibiotics.

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