Author: Donna Brettler

Imipenem is a carbapenem beta-lactam antibacterial, differing from the penicillins in that the 5-membered ring is unsaturated and contains a carbon rather than a sulfur atom.

Gentamicin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic and has a bactericidal action against many Gram-negative aer-obes and against some strains of staphylococci.

Amikacin is a semisynthetic aminoglycoside antibiotic derived from kanamycin and is used similarly to gentamicin in the treatment of severe Gram-negative and other infections. It is given as the sulfate, and is generally reserved for the treatment of severe infections caused by susceptible bacteria that are resistant to gentamicin and tobramycin.

Azlocillin has an antimicrobial action similar to that of piperacillin. Its activity in vitro against Enterobacteriaceae is generally less than that of mezlocillin or piperacillin, but it has comparable activity to piperacillin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Sultamicillin is given orally as tablets containing sultamicillin tosilate or as oral suspension containing sultamicillin. It is used in the treatment of infections where beta-lactamase-producing organisms might occur, including uncomplicated gonorrhoea, otitis media, and respiratory-tract and urinary-tract infections.

The name benzylpenicillin is commonly used to describe either benzylpenicillin potassium or benzylpenicillin sodium as these are the forms in which benzylpenicillin is used. Benzylpenicillin means either the potassium or sodium salt. The potassium salt of a substance produced by growing certain strains of Penicillium notatum or related organisms or obtained by any other means. A white or almost white crystalline powder.

Ampicillin is a beta-lactam antibiotic. It is bactericidal and has a similar mode of action to that of benzylpenicillin, but as an aminopenicillin with an amino group side-chain attached to the basic penicillin structure, ampicillin is better able to penetrate the outer membrane of some Gram-negative bacteria and has a broader spectrum of activity.

Amoxicillin has been reported to be more active in vitro than ampicillin against Enterococcus faecalis, Helicobacter pylori, and Salmonella spp., but less active against Shigella spp. Amoxicillin is inactivated by beta lactamases and complete cross-resistance has been reported between amoxicillin and ampicillin.