Beta-Lactam Antibiotics Flashcards
(123 cards)
classes of beta lactams
penicillins, cephalosporins, carbapenems, monobactams
what characteristic do all members of beta-lactams share?
they all share a similar structure: the beta-lactam ring that is essential for activity
- substitutions on the ring are used to increase resistance to beta-lactamase enzymes, enhance
penicillin drug classifications
- natural penicillins: penicillin G
- amino penicillins: ampicillin, amoxicillin
- anti-staph penicillins: oxacillin
- extended spectrum penicillins: piperacillin
penicillin MOA
- prevention of cell wall formation and lysis of bacteria: bactericidal action!
- inhibition of peptidoglycan synthesis by interfering with enzymes called PBPs: penicillin-binding proteins
penicillins are bactericidal for what type of cells?
growing cells: only bactericidal for those undergoing cell-wall synthesis
what has a faster rate of kill activity: penicillins or fluoroquionolones
fluoroquinolones
how are beta-lactams bactericidal?
the ring of betalactams has a 3D structure that mimics a terminus that acts as a natural substrate for transpeptidase activity during cell wall synthesis
- by blocking the formation of theses covalent bonds, the cell weakens and leads to lysis from high internal osmotic pressure
what determines if beta lactams will be effective on cells?
variation in activity for Gram + vs Gram - depends on:
- differences in receptor sites on PBPs
- relative amount of peptidoglycan present
- ability to penetrate outer cell membrane of Gm-
- resistance to different types of betalactamase enzymes present
bactericidal of beta-lactams is dependent on
time
are beta lactams time or concentration dependent?
time dependent: length of time that abx concentrations at site of infection exceed the MIC (T>MIC) should be at least 50-60% of the dosing interval)
- thus, these drugs are often dosed MORE FREQUENTLY than the concentration dependent drugs like fluoroquinolones
you need to give Muffin, a 9 year old crusty white dog, antibiotics. You decide on a beta lactam, and because you are an astute CSU grad, you know that these drugs are time-dependent. what does this mean for how often you are likely going to dose Muffin?
muffin will likely be dosed more frequently because of the time-dependency: need to be above the MIC to constantly block the transpeptidase in cell wall formation
why is the “eagle” or paradoxical effect important with beta lactams?
- if you give concentrations above an optimal killing concentration, you get reduced bactericidal (killing) effect because PBPs get bound and cause a growth arrest. this failure to grow means failure to be killed by the antibiotic
- important because there can be a tendency to overdose with these drugs due to the large margin of safety. more doesn’t always mean better!!
resistance to beta-lactam abx
- beta lactamase enzymes produced by bacteria
- these enzymes break the beta-lactam ring, destroying the active part of the drug
where do gram + produce beta lactamases?
gram + produce inducible beta-lactamase extra-cellularly
where do gram - bacteria produce beta lactamases?
constitutively produce beta-lactamase in the peri-plasmic space
gram - bacteria beta lactamase enzymes are more active against what drugs?
penicillins
what is better at killing gram - bacteria: penicillins or cephalosporins?
cephalosporins: the beta lactamase enzymes are more active against penicillins than cephalosporins
why has the discovery of beta-lactamase inhibitory drugs been so important
they irreversibly bind the beta-lactamase enzyme and allow the antibiotic to exert the bactericidal effect: we use these with beta-lactams to block the bacteria’s ability to break down the drug
what beta-lactamase enzyme inhibitors are often mixed with beta-lactam antibiotics?
avibactam, clavulanic acid, tazobactam
best way to block resistance via b-lactamase enzymes is to inhibit them!
are penicillins well or poorly absorbed orally?
poorly absorbed orally
why are penicillins often given frequently?
they have very short half lives/rapid elimination = frequent administration + slowly absorbing formulations like procaine penicillin has helped combat this
PK properties of penicillins
- acid labile, poorly absorbed orally
- short half-lives/rapid elimination
- small volume of distribution, don’t cross membranes easily
- eliminated almost entirely through renal excretion = very high urine concentrations
why would you not want to use penicillins for a intracellular bacterial infection/mycoplasma?
penicillins have a very small volume of distribution and do not cross biologic membranes readily. they are very water soluble and are limited to extra-cellular water
how are penicillins eliminated?
almost entirely through renal excretion = very high urine concentrations. don’t really need to worry about giving to renally impaired patients because of the wide margin of safety