Open AccessJMM Profile: Carbapenems: a broad-spectrum antibiotic
Author(s) -
Tom Armstrong,
Samuel Fenn,
Kim R. Hardie
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of medical microbiology/journal of medical microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1473-5644
pISSN - 0022-2615
DOI - 10.1099/jmm.0.001462
Subject(s) - meropenem , carbapenem , antibiotics , broad spectrum , lactam , microbiology and biotechnology , beta lactamase inhibitors , nausea , antibiotic resistance , enzyme , medicine , chemistry , biology , stereochemistry , biochemistry , combinatorial chemistry
Carbapenems are potent members of the β-lactam family that inhibit bacterial cell-wall biosynthesis inhibitors . They are highly effective against Gram-negative and Gram-positive drug-resistant infections . As such, carbapenems are typically reserved as an antibiotic of last resort. The WHO lists meropenem as an essential medicine. Nausea and vomiting are reported in ≤20% of carbapenem recipients, with 1.5% suffering seizures. Enzymatic hydrolysis of the β - lactam ring is the main driver of clinical resistance. These enzymes can be classified as Class A, B and D. Classes A and D are serine β - lactamases, whereas Class B rely on metal-mediated hydrolysis, typically through zinc.