Amoxycillin

Question 1

What is amoxycillin?

Answer 1

A broad spectrum antibiotic belonging to the family of penicillins.

Question 2

What is amoxycillin used for?

Answer 2

Treatment of infections due to susceptible organisms including genitourinary tract, skin, soft tissue infectins, URTI, LRTI, urethritis, endocarditis,

Also used for prophylaxis in procedures e.g. dental extraction

Also used in empirical therapy

Question 3

What are other drugs in the same class as amoxycillin?

Answer 3

Augmentin

Question 4

What are the contraindications for Amoxycillin use?

Answer 4

patients with hypersensitivity to penicillins

Stevens Johnsom syndrome

Question 5

What are some precautions with amoxycillin use?

Answer 5

patient hypersensitivity to cephalasporins

patients with Clostridium difficile associated diarrhoea

glucose, urinary testing, may give false positive readings

Question 6

What is the mechanism of action of amoxycillin?

Answer 6

Amoxycillin is a semisynthetic antibiotic which inhibits the biosynthesis of the bacterial cell wall.
It is not effective against beta lactamase producing organisms.

It has a broad spectrum bactericidal activity against many strains of G+ and G- microorganisms

Question 7

What is the place of therapy of amoxycillin use?

Answer 7

High dose therapy effective in treating adult CAP
Preferred first line outpatient empiric treatment of mild to mod CAP

For the treatment of CAP, sinusitis and middle ear infections which may be due to S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae

Question 8

What are some pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic characteristics for amoxycillin?

Answer 8

Well absorbed orally
Not affected by presence of food
Pregnancy class A
Compatible with breastfeeding

72-93% oral bioavailability
Predominantly eliminated via renal excretion, prolonged in neonates and elderly.

Question 9

What are some adverse effects with amoxycillin use?

Answer 9

Maculopapular rashes
Risk of crstalluria with high doses
Mayc cause diarrhoea in infant (via breastfeeding)
vomiting
joint pains, angioedema, anaphylaxis, serum sickness like reaction

Question 10

What are some interactions associated with amoxycillin?

Answer 10

Reduce immune response to oral typhoid vaccine
Absorption significantly reduced if given with or 2 hours after acacia or Catha

May result in increased prothrombin times and/or bleeding if taken with warfarin.

Skin rashes increased with allopurinol

Question 11

What are some alarm bells associated with amoxycillin?

Answer 11

Discontinue treatment if there is a serum sickness like reaction
May reduce effectiveness of OC