colistin

1 7.9

A strong antibiotic for serious infections caused by bacteria when other antibiotics fail

noun
/kəˈlɪstɪn/

Specialized

: colistina

Resistance to the antibiotic is rare but was first found in a pig living on a farm near Shanghai in 2013, and colistin-resistant bacteria have continued to spread.
colistin-resistant
colistin resistance
colistin-resistant bacteria

This resistance gene confers resistance to a drug called colistin.

Examples

All isolates were susceptible to colistin and carbapenems.

Academic text (2013)
The only remaining possibility, colistin, is rarely used because it can damage the kidneys.
Mice infected with typical CRKP were all saved with colistin.

Synonyms

antibacterial drug

vscolistin

Specialized

1 3.0

A medicine that kills bacteria or stops their growth

is reserved for very serious or resistant infections after other medicines fail

Surface Forms

colistin singular

colistins plural

Etymology

Colistin likely combines coli (as in the common germ E. coli) and the usual medicine ending -in, because it was first made to fight bacteria like E. coli. So, think of colistin as a drug named for the germs it targets, which helps explain why it is a strong, last‑resort antibiotic.