Amoxicillin and potassium clavulanate use

Amoxicillin/clavulanate: 7 things you should know Medically reviewed by • • • • • • • 1. How it works • Amoxicillin/clavulanate is a penicillin-type combination antibiotic made up of amoxicillin (the active, antibiotic part) and clavulanate potassium (which boosts the effectiveness of amoxicillin). • Amoxicillin kills bacteria by inhibiting the synthesis of cell wall mucopeptides (crystal lattice-like structures composed of amino acids). This weakens and destroys the bacterial cell wall. Amoxicillin has a similar action to ampicillin. • Clavulanate potassium protects amoxicillin from inactivation by beta-lactamases by binding strongly to beta-lactamases near their active site. By itself, clavulanate potassium only has weak antibacterial activity, but when used together with amoxicillin, it extends its spectrum so that it may be used to treat infections caused by beta-lactamase-producing organisms. • Amoxicillin/clavulanate belongs to the group of medicines known as penicillins. 2. Upsides • Effective against more organisms than amoxicillin by itself. • Used to treat infections of the airways, ears, sinuses, skin, and urinary tract caused by susceptible bacteria including beta‑lactamase-producing isolates of Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella species, and Enterobacter species. • Available in tablet, chewable tablet, extended-release, and liquid formulations. • Generic amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium is availa...

What is amoxicillin/clavulanate, and what is it used for? Amoxicillin is an antibiotic, while clavulanate does not have antibacterial activity, but instead prevents the degradation of amoxicillin by bacterial enzymes. The combination is effective against many Amoxicillin is a semisynthetic broad-spectrum antibiotic that belongs to the Many bacteria, however, develop resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics by producing beta-lactamases, enzymes that cleave the beta-lactam rings in the antibiotics and destroy them. Clavulanate has the ability to inactivate many of the beta-lactamases commonly found in bacteria resistant to penicillin and cephalosporin classes of antibiotics. The addition of clavulanate prevents the degradation of amoxicillin and extends its activity. The uses of amoxicillin/clavulanate include: FDA-approved: Adult and pediatric: • Lower respiratory tract infections • Community acquired • Acute • • Acute bacterial rhinosinusitis • Skin and skin structure infections • Off-label: Adult: • Prophylaxis or treatment of bite • Acute exacerbation of • Acute exacerbation of • Diabetic foot infection • Mild to moderate intra-abdominal infection, community acquired in patients without risk factors for resistance or treatment failure • Neutropenic • Odontogenic infection • Peritonsillar • Organisms susceptible to amoxicillin/clavulanate include: Gram-positive: • • Gram-negative: • Enterobacter species ( • • Haemophilus influenzae (beta-lactamase and non-beta-lactamase–prod...