For the treatment of pathologies that are infectious or bacterial in nature, antibiotics are often used. However, their number is so large that it is not always possible for the patient to understand which drug is suitable for him. Naturally, self-medication is not worth it. The doctor will help you choose the right remedy. But most often used is semi-synthetic penicillin. He has been known for over 80 years.
What is a product?
So, semisynthetic penicillin is an analogue of a natural substance, which has new, very valuable properties and is considered more effective than its predecessor. That is, it can act in cases where pathogens develop resistance to the effects of natural penicillin.
Preparations of this group are considered one of the most effective against a large number of diseases, therefore they are used quite widely. In addition, they are almost completely safe for the body. That is why they are often prescribed in the treatment of pregnant women, as well as infants.
Semi-synthetic penicillin is more resistant to acid, so it can already be taken in tablet form. It has a long action. That is, this particular group of drugs is the most common and widely used in medical practice.
The principle of the antibiotic
So, the means of the presented group in their composition contain a β-lactam ring. It is it that makes it possible to stop the production of peptidoglycan by a cell of a harmful microorganism. That is, the growth and reproduction of the pathogen stops, it is not updated, which means it dies. At the same time, the substance does not negatively affect the cells of the human body, since there is no peptidoglycan in their composition.
In addition, the β-lactam ring disrupts the synthesis of the bacterial cell wall, which provokes an abnormal metabolism inside it. In general, semisynthetic penicillin is very effective in the fight against various infections of the internal organs, surgical pathologies.
Benefits
So, it is necessary to further consider what advantages this group of drugs has. Semi-synthetic penicillins have these advantages:
- They are able to effectively act even on those pathogens that have already developed resistance to the action of this type of antibiotic.
- Many drugs have a wide spectrum of action, that is, they can destroy a large number of different bacteria.
- Most penicillins in this group have a distinctive property: resistance to the effects of stomach acid. That is, tablets will be no less effective than injections.
Application features
The group of semi-synthetic penicillins is the most common among all existing antibiotics. They are available in various forms. In the pharmacy you can buy syrup, tablets, powder for dilution or ready-made liquid for injection. The powder is usually packaged in glass bottles of a certain volume, which are closed with a rubber lid and a metal cap. After opening the bottle, the antibiotic should be used immediately, since it is not stored for a long time in open form.
The powder is used to prepare an intramuscular or subcutaneous solution. A special liquid is used for its dilution. There are also granular powders from which a suspension for oral administration is prepared. Most often, this form of antibiotic is used to treat young children.
However, tablets are the most common form of manufacture. Due to the fact that some drugs of the presented group are resistant to the effects of stomach acid, the main substance in them is not destroyed. That is, they remain as effective as possible even after getting into an aggressive environment.
Indications for use
In the presence of any infectious or bacterial pathology in the body, the doctor is entitled to prescribe antibiotics. Semi-synthetic penicillins can be used to treat such diseases:
- Inflammation of the lungs, infection of the pleura.
- Endocarditis of a septic nature.
- Gynecological diseases that are accompanied by an inflammatory process and are characterized by the appearance of pus.
- Anthrax.
- Sepsis.
- Peritonitis.
- Infectious lesion of the throat, nose or ears.
- Meningitis.
- Gas gangrene.
- Diphtheria.
- Gonorrhea, syphilis.
- Leptospirosis.
- Scarlet fever.
- Infectious infection of the ureters and biliary tract.
- Wound infections of the skin or soft tissues, which are accompanied by the release of pus.
- Gonococcal conjunctivitis, phlegmon orbit, keratitis, trauma to the eyelids or the eye itself.
In addition, this list can be expanded. As can be seen from the presented evidence, penicillins are used to treat diseases of almost all human organs.
What contraindications for use exist?
Despite the fact that semi-synthetic penicillins, the spectrum of action of which is very wide, are almost completely safe for humans, they still have some contraindications for use:
- An allergic reaction to the drug or its components.
- Organic intolerance to certain groups of drugs.
However, there are few cases of allergies. But when prescribing penicillin preparations, the doctor must conduct an analysis on the patient's tolerance of these funds.
What adverse reactions can occur?
Side effects of semisynthetic penicillins are described in sufficient detail. They can have different intensities. In most cases, the manifestations are minimal and there are no risks to the patient's life and health. After taking penicillin-based drugs, the following adverse reactions may occur:
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Eosinophilia.
- Increase in general body temperature.
- Headache.
- Bronchial spasm.
- Edema (even Quincke's edema).
- Neurotoxic reaction.
- Arthrapy (secondary joint damage caused by other diseases).
- Cramps.
- Coma.
- Allergic reaction. It can be slow or sharp.
- Phlebitis or thrombophlebitis (with intravenous administration).
- Stomatitis (when using the tablet form).
In any case, the list of adverse reactions can be expanded indefinitely. However, with the timely termination of taking drugs of this group, undesirable reactions disappear within a few days. However, severe allergies can lead to death of the patient. Therefore, it should be contraindicated to take penicillins in any form (even with food).
Classification of funds
So, it is possible to divide the preparations based on semisynthetic penicillins into the following groups:
- Penicillin-stable: Oxacillin, Methicillin.
- Carboxypenicillins: Ticarcillin, Carbenicillin.
- Antiseptic:
- Aminopenicillins: Amoxicillin, Ampicillin (the most common). These semi-synthetic broad-spectrum penicillins are not resistant to the effects of beta-lactanases. However, they can be taken in pill form.
- Uridopenicillins: "Meslocillin", "Azlocillin."
Despite the fact that each group of such semi-synthetic drugs is intended to combat certain diseases, in case of their ineffectiveness, they cannot be combined with other bacteriostatic antibiotics. This can be harmful to the body.
What solvent to choose for powder dilution?
In order to administer the antibiotic intramuscularly or subcutaneously, the powder must be turned into a liquid. For this, various solvents are used. The most common of them are: saline, water for injection, as well as Novocain.
If intramuscular administration of the drug is expected, then any of the above solvents can be used here. But it should not be warm, since the effectiveness of the powder after dilution in this case may decrease. In the summer, cold water can be used to lower the temperature of the solvent. You just need to lower the ampoule into the vessel with the liquid for several minutes. The temperature of the bottle should not exceed 18-20 degrees.
In order to reduce the feeling of discomfort during the injection, it is better to use saline solution. If the patient already does not want to feel any pain at all, then you can dilute the powder with Novocain, which has a local anesthetic effect. However, in this case, the prepared liquid may become cloudy due to the appearance of the procaine salt of benzylpenicillin. However, this does not affect the quality or effectiveness of the drug.
The most common drugs: a brief description
If it is necessary to use semisynthetic penicillins, drugs in each individual case are prescribed by a doctor. The most popular antibiotics of this group are:
- Ampicillin. It is a broad-spectrum antibiotic, effectively acts on gram-negative and some gram-positive bacteria. From the stomach and intestines, the drug is absorbed quite slowly. Drug tolerance is good in most patients. With the joint administration of Ampicillin with oral anticoagulants, the effect of the latter is enhanced. The drug is taken 4-6 times / d.
- Amoxicillin. This is similar to the previous drug, which is characterized by more complete absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. Most often, it is sold in the form of tablets, as it is resistant to the negative effects of gastric juice and does not collapse under its influence.
- "Oxacillin." This medicine is not only resistant to stomach acid, but also to those enzymes that can destroy penicillin. Due to the fact that it is rapidly excreted in the urine, it will be necessary to take it often enough. The drug can be used in the form of injections.
Cephalosporin Group
There is a separate group of antibiotics: semisynthetic penicillins - cephalosporins. They come from the natural toxic drug Cephalosporin C. Medicines of this group are widely used in chemotherapy for the treatment of various infectious diseases.
Only a doctor who knows about the features of their action should prescribe drugs of this group. For example, not all first and second generation drugs are equally effective. However, the resistance of bacteria to cephalosporins develops relatively slowly. It should be noted that the means of this group have a fairly strong toxic effect on the kidneys even with the introduction of a relatively small dose (4-6 g).
That's all the features of drugs made on the basis of penicillin. Despite the safety of these antibiotics for the body, self-medication should never be done. Be healthy!