What are beta-lactamase inhibitors used for?

Beta-lactamase inhibitors are medications that are used ubiquitously in modern medicine due to their ability to combat bacterial antimicrobial resistance mechanisms. Antimicrobial resistance poses an enormous global public health challenge.

Which antibiotic is inactivated by beta-lactamase?

The β-lactamase inhibitors bind to β-lactamases and inactivate them. Commercially available inhibitors include clavulanic acid, sulbactam and tazobactam.

What is beta-lactamase?

The beta-lactamase enzymes inactivate beta-lactam antibiotics by hydrolyzing the peptide bond of the characteristic four-membered beta-lactam ring rendering the antibiotic ineffective. The inactivation of the antibiotic provides resistance to the bacterium.

Is penicillin a beta-lactamase inhibitor?

Broad-spectrum penicillins include the β-lactam/β-lactam-inhibitor combinations piperacillin-tazobactam, ticarcillin-clavulanate, and ampicillin-sulbactam.

Are penicillins beta lactams?

Beta-lactam antibiotics include penicillins, cephalosporins and related compounds. As a group, these drugs are active against many gram-positive, gram-negative and anaerobic organisms.

How is beta-lactamase treated?

Commonly used medications to treat ESBL-involved infections include: carbapenems (imipenem, meropenem, and doripenem) cephamycins (cefoxitin and cefotetan) fosfomycin.

Is Augmentin a beta-lactamase inhibitor?

β-Lactamase Inhibitors Augmentin® is a product of amoxicillin combined with clavulanate, while Unasyn® comprises ampicillin and sulbactam. Tazocin® and Zosyn® are combination antibiotics containing piperacillin and tazobactam. Unfortunately, the available β-lactamase inhibitors do not inhibit all types of β-lactamases.

Is amoxicillin beta-lactam?

For example, Augmentin (FGP) is made of amoxicillin (a β-lactam antibiotic) and clavulanic acid (a β-lactamase inhibitor).

What causes beta-lactamase?

Most ESBL infections are spread by direct contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids (blood, drainage from a wound, urine, bowel movements, or phlegm). They can also be spread by contact with equipment or surfaces that have been contaminated with the germ.

How do you get beta-lactamase?

Beta-lactamases are enzymes produced by bacteria that break open the beta-lactam ring, inactivating the beta-lactam antibiotic. Some beta-lactamases are encoded on mobile genetic elements (eg, plasmids); others are encoded on chromosomes. There are numerous different types of beta-lactamases.