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PMID: 3038500 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Review

Sulbactam/ampicillin. A review of its antibacterial activity, pharmacokinetic properties, and therapeutic use.

Drugs ·Vol. 33 ·No. 6 ·1987-06-00 ·Pages 577-609

Campoli-Richards DM, Brogden RN

Abstract

Sulbactam is a semisynthetic beta-lactamase inhibitor which when combined with certain beta-lactam antibacterials extends their activity against bacteria that are normally resistant to the antibiotic due to production of beta-lactamases. In combination with ampicillin it extends the antibacterial activity of ampicillin to include beta-lactamase-producing strains which are otherwise resistant, including Bacteroides fragilis, and increases the susceptibility of many sensitive strains. Sulbactam is poorly absorbed after oral administration and sulbactam/ampicillin is therefore administered parenterally, although another linked sulbactam-ampicillin compound, sultamicillin, has been developed which is well absorbed after oral administration. The basic pharmacokinetic characteristics of sulbactam after parenteral administration are similar to those of ampicillin. Multiple-dose therapy with sulbactam/ampicillin is clinically and bacteriologically effective in infections of the urinary tract, skin and soft tissue, bones and joints, respiratory tract, ears, nose and throat, as well as intra-abdominal and obstetric and gynaecological infections and septicaemia. In addition, single intramuscular doses of sulbactam/ampicillin administered with oral probenecid are therapeutically effective in gonorrhoea, including infections due to penicillinase-producing and/or ampicillin-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae. In the prophylaxis of infectious complications of surgery sulbactam/ampicillin is superior to placebo and appears to be similar in efficacy to several alternative antibacterial regimens. Further studies involving larger numbers of patients are needed to clarify the comparative therapeutic and prophylactic efficacy of sulbactam/ampicillin and alternative antibacterial drugs. Nonetheless, sulbactam/ampicillin improves the therapeutic and prophylactic efficacy of an antibacterial of familiar safety, and must be seen as a worthwhile advance.

MeSH Terms
Ampicillin/metabolism,pharmacology,therapeutic use Bacteria/drug effects Bacterial Infections/drug therapy Humans Kinetics Penicillanic Acid/metabolism,pharmacology,therapeutic use Sulbactam beta-Lactamase Inhibitors
Chemicals
beta-Lactamase Inhibitors Ampicillin Penicillanic Acid Sulbactam
Authors & Affiliations
2 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Campoli-Richards D M
Brogden R N
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82 references, click to expand
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Article Info
Journal
Drugs
Abbr.
Drugs
ISSN
0012-6667
DOI
10.2165/00003495-198733060-00003
Published
1987-06-00
Pages
577-609
Language
English
Region
New Zealand
NLM ID
7600076
Subset
IM
Corrections
ErratumIn
-
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.2165/00003495-198733060-00003 View journal details
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