Go Narrow: Antibiotics Game
Johanna Galaski
I'm a microbiology resident, and ever since I studied antibiotics in medical school I've been thinking about how antibiotic coverage could be taught in a fun way. Many medical students, and residents too, really struggle with it. Go Narrow is my answer: a game that teaches which antibiotics cover which bacteria, and why. Each level is a culture plate. Tap the bacteria your antibiotic covers, leave the ones it doesn't, and use the culture result to choose the narrowest drug that works. Every wrong tap tells you why in one sentence: an enzyme destroys the drug, its target has changed, or the drug can't get in. The pairs you get wrong come back for review until they stick. Target lessons animate the mechanism of action, from the cell wall and membrane to the ribosome, DNA gyrase and folate synthesis. Resistance lessons show how bacteria fight back: MRSA, VRE, ESBL, AmpC, carbapenemases and CRAB. In the Lab you learn Gram staining step by step and train your eye for morphology: Klebsiella are Gram-negative rods, staphylococci Gram-positive cocci in clusters, streptococci Gram-positive cocci in chains. For learning only: real prescribing depends on local resistance, the site of infection and the patient, so always follow your local guidelines.
Screenshots
