Final answer:
True, anti-infective agents often cause adverse reactions such as toxicity to the kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, and nervous system, and can lead to superinfections due to disruption of normal microbiota.
Step-by-step explanation:
True, common adverse reactions to anti-infective agents include toxic effects on the kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, and nervous system. Anti-infectives can have a range of side effects due to their mechanisms of action. For instance, certain antimicrobial agents can cause predictable or idiosyncratic inhibition of host mitochondrial components, leading to toxicity. These toxicities may manifest as fever, diarrhea, cramps, vomiting, dysentery, and sometimes severe organ or autoimmune effects. Antifungal drugs, for example, can disrupt ergosterol synthesis or bind to ergosterol, which may cause cellular damage, while also needing to be administered at low doses to minimize side effects and penetrate the blood-brain barrier. Moreover, the use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials can disrupt the normal microbiota and increase the risk of superinfections like candidiasis and pseudomembranous colitis.