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Clinical pharmacology of the semisynthetic penicillins
Author(s) -
Dineen Peter
Publication year - 1962
Publication title -
clinical pharmacology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.941
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1532-6535
pISSN - 0009-9236
DOI - 10.1002/cpt196232224
Subject(s) - penicillin , staphylococcus aureus , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , penicillin resistance , medicine , antibiotics , pharmacology , biology , bacteria , genetics
The semisynthetic penicillins are considered from the microbiologic and clinical standpoint. The various compounds are the product of the addition of various prosthetic groups to a basic building block, 6‐aminopenicillanic acid. Although penicillinase rapidly inactivates penicillin G, the addition of larger prosthetic groups to 6‐aminopenicillanic acid protects the molecule from penicillinase action. The group of semisynthetic penicillins which are resistant to the action of penicillinase constitutes a new frontier in the clinician's war against Staphylococcus aureus. The use of methicillin in patients has been gratifying, particularly in penicillin‐resistant Staph. aureus infections. There has been a 64 per cent rate of cure of bacteremias caused by this organism. Resistance of Staph. aureus to methicillin at a clinical level has not been apparent as yet.