[The effectiveness of so-called potentiated penicillins (augmentin and tazobactam) in vitro]

Abstract

The resistance of bacterial strains to beta-lactam antibiotics (penicillins and cephalosporins) is due to transfer of genes coding the production of enzymes-beta-lactamases. These enzymes--penicillinases and cephalosporinases--can hydrolyse beta-lactam antibiotics. The using of beta-lactamase inhibitors in combination with some beta-lactam antibiotics is a suitable alternative in the present unfavourable situation in chemotherapy (increase of occurrence of gram-negative and gram-positive penicillin-cephalosporin-resistant bacterial strains). In this communication the authors present the review of efficiency of three, in clinical practice mostly used potentiated penicillins: Augmentin (amoxicillin + clavulanate), Unasyn (ampicillin + sulbactam) and Tazobac (piperacillin + tazobactam). Tazobactam seems to be the most promising beta-lactamase inhibitor which has, unlike clavulanate and sulbactam, its own antibiotic activity.