Amoxycillin: A review of its antibacterial and pharmacokinietic properties and therapeutic use

Drugs
|January 1, 1975
PubMed

Insights

Amoxicillin offers better absorption and potentially fewer side effects like diarrhea than ampicillin. While its clinical superiority is unproven, amoxicillin may be preferred for certain infections due to improved efficacy and dosing.

Area of Science:

  • Pharmacology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Amoxicillin is a semisynthetic penicillin antibiotic, closely related to ampicillin.
  • Unlike prodrugs like pivampicillin, amoxicillin is not converted to ampicillin in vivo.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of amoxicillin and ampicillin.
  • To evaluate the potential clinical advantages of amoxicillin over ampicillin.

Main Methods:

  • Pharmacokinetic analysis of oral absorption and serum level determination.
  • Comparative assessment of antibacterial spectrum and activity.
  • Review of clinical efficacy and side effect profiles.

Main Results:

  • Amoxicillin demonstrates superior oral absorption compared to ampicillin, achieving approximately double the peak serum levels.
  • Both antibiotics share similar antibacterial spectra and cross-resistance.
  • Amoxicillin showed greater efficacy in experimental murine infections and potentially reduced incidence of rash and diarrhea.

Conclusions:

  • Amoxicillin's enhanced absorption and penetration may offer advantages over ampicillin in treating certain infections.
  • Clinical superiority of amoxicillin over ampicillin requires further demonstration.
  • Amoxicillin allows for reduced dosing and potentially fewer side effects compared to ampicillin.

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