Drug | Family | Mechanism |
penicillin V | -cillin,
Beta-Lactams,
Natural Penicillins,
Narrow G+ coverage,
Limited G- activity,
Renally excreted unchanged | Irreversible inhibition of PBPs that assist in formation and remodeling of bacterial cell wall. Inhibition leads to decreased cell wall synthesis and repair. Lysis due to osmotic pressure. |
amoxicillin | am- -cillin,
Beta-Lactams,
Aminopenicillins,
Narrow G+ coverage,
Enhanced G- activity,
Renally excreted unchanged | Irreversible inhibition of PBPs that assist in formation and remodeling of bacterial cell wall. Inhibition leads to decreased cell wall synthesis and repair. Lysis due to osmotic pressure. |
ampicillin | am- -cillin,
Beta-Lactams,
Aminopenicillins,
Narrow G+ coverage,
Enhanced G- activity,
Renally excreted unchanged | Irreversible inhibition of PBPs that assist in formation and remodeling of bacterial cell wall. Inhibition leads to decreased cell wall synthesis and repair. Lysis due to osmotic pressure. |
nafcillin | -cillin,
Beta-Lactams,
Antistaphs,
Narrow MSSA,
Renally excreted unchanged | Irreversible inhibition of PBPs that assist in formation and remodeling of bacterial cell wall. Inhibition leads to decreased cell wall synthesis and repair. Lysis due to osmotic pressure. |
piperacillin | -cillin,
Beta-Lactams,
Ureidopenicillins,
Narrow G+ coverage,
Greater G- activity,
Renally excreted unchanged | Irreversible inhibition of PBPs that assist in formation and remodeling of bacterial cell wall. Inhibition leads to decreased cell wall synthesis and repair. Lysis due to osmotic pressure. |
imipenem/cilastatin | no root,
Beta-Lactams,
Carbapenams,
Deactivated in kidney but more can be recovered when administered with cilastatin,
Not orally active,
Gram negative bacilli, anaerobes, and S. aureus | Irreversible inhibition of PBPs that assist in formation and remodeling of bacterial cell wall. Inhibition leads to decreased cell wall synthesis and repair. Lysis due to osmotic pressure. |
cefazolin | cef-,
Beta-Lactams,
Cephalosporins 1st Gen,
G+ cocci,
Limited G-,
Renally excreted unchanged | Irreversible inhibition of PBPs that assist in formation and remodeling of bacterial cell wall. Inhibition leads to decreased cell wall synthesis and repair. Lysis due to osmotic pressure. |
cefotaxime | cef-,
Beta-Lactams,
Cephalosporins 3rd Gen,
Better G-
Renally excreted unchanged | Irreversible inhibition of PBPs that assist in formation and remodeling of bacterial cell wall. Inhibition leads to decreased cell wall synthesis and repair. Lysis due to osmotic pressure. |
ceftriaxone | cef-,
Beta-Lactams,
Cephalosporins 3rd Gen,
Better G-
Renally excreted unchanged | Irreversible inhibition of PBPs that assist in formation and remodeling of bacterial cell wall. Inhibition leads to decreased cell wall synthesis and repair. Lysis due to osmotic pressure. |
cephalexin | cef-,
Beta-Lactams,
Cephalosporins 1st Gen,
G+ cocci,
Limited G-,
Renally excreted unchanged | Irreversible inhibition of PBPs that assist in formation and remodeling of bacterial cell wall. Inhibition leads to decreased cell wall synthesis and repair. Lysis due to osmotic pressure. |
aztreonam | no root,
Beta-Lactams,
Monobactams,
Exclusively used against severe gram negative infections, esp those in the hospital. | Irreversible inhibition of PBPs that assist in formation and remodeling of bacterial cell wall. Inhibition leads to decreased cell wall synthesis and repair. Lysis due to osmotic pressure. |
amoxicillin/clavulanic acid | am- -cillin,
Beta-Lactams,
Aminopenicillins,
Narrow G+ coverage,
Enhanced G- activity,
Renally excreted unchanged,
Clavuanic acid works to inhibit beta-lactamase | Irreversible inhibition of PBPs that assist in formation and remodeling of bacterial cell wall. Inhibition leads to decreased cell wall synthesis and repair. Lysis due to osmotic pressure. |
piperacillin/tazobactam | -cillin,
Beta-Lactams,
Ureidopenicillins,
Narrow G+ coverage,
Greater G- activity,
Renally excreted unchanged | Irreversible inhibition of PBPs that assist in formation and remodeling of bacterial cell wall. Inhibition leads to decreased cell wall synthesis and repair. Lysis due to osmotic pressure. |
ciprofloxacin | -floxacin,
Fluoroquinolones 2nd Gen,
Generally well-tolerated,
damage to growing cartilage,
possible tendonitis | Inhibit DNA gyrase in G- (relieves positive supercoiling) and/or topoisomerase IV in G+ (Involved in untying daughter DNA formed during replication). Leaves cell's DNA inaccessible and leads to cell death. |
levofloxacin | -floxacin,
Fluoroquinolones 3rd Gen,
Generally well-tolerated,
damage to growing cartilage,
possible tendonitis | Inhibit DNA gyrase in G- (relieves positive supercoiling) and/or topoisomerase IV in G+ (Involved in untying daughter DNA formed during replication). Leaves cell's DNA inaccessible and leads to cell death. |
nitrofurantoin | no root,
Quinolones,
Generally well-tolerated,
damage to growing cartilage,
possible tendonitis | Produce reactive oxygen species in bacteria. |
sulfamethoxazole | sulfa-,
Sulfonamide,
Bacteriostatic | Inhibits dihydropteroate synthase and give a false metabolite. |
Trimethoprim / sulfamethoxazole (cotrimoxazole) | no root,
Combination makes both bactericidal | Inhibits dihydrofolate synthase (Tmp) and dihydropteroate synthase (Sulfa). |
azithromycin | -omycin (for synthesis inhibitors),
Protein synthesis inhibitors,
Macrolides | Bind 23S rRNA at E site, halting translation |
clarithromycin | -omycin (for synthesis inhibitors),
Protein synthesis inhibitors,
Macrolides | Bind 23S rRNA at E site, halting translation |
erythromycin | -omycin (for synthesis inhibitors),
Protein synthesis inhibitors,
Macrolides | Bind 23S rRNA at E site, halting translation |
fidaxomicin | -omycin (for synthesis inhibitors),
Protein synthesis inhibitors,
Macrolides | Bind 23S rRNA at E site, halting translation |
doxycycline | Protein synthesis inhibitors | |
chloramphenicol | Protein synthesis inhibitors,
Bacteriostatic | |
clindamycin | -omycin (for synthesis inhibitors),
Protein synthesis inhibitors,
Bacteriostatic | |
gentamicin | -omycin (for synthesis inhibitors),
Protein synthesis inhibitors,
Aminoglycosides | Bind 16S ribosomal RNA portion of the bacterial ribosome. Result in blocking of initiation of translation, blocking of further translation once started, and induction of a conformation change that results in the incorporation of incorrect amino acid. |
streptomycin | -omycin (for synthesis inhibitors),
Protein synthesis inhibitors,
Aminoglycosides | Bind 16S ribosomal RNA portion of the bacterial ribosome. Result in blocking of initiation of translation, blocking of further translation once started, and induction of a conformation change that results in the incorporation of incorrect amino acid. |
neomycin | -omycin (for synthesis inhibitors),
Protein synthesis inhibitors,
Aminoglycosides | Bind 16S ribosomal RNA portion of the bacterial ribosome. Result in blocking of initiation of translation, blocking of further translation once started, and induction of a conformation change that results in the incorporation of incorrect amino acid. |
tobramycin | -omycin (for synthesis inhibitors),
Protein synthesis inhibitors,
Aminoglycosides | Bind 16S ribosomal RNA portion of the bacterial ribosome. Result in blocking of initiation of translation, blocking of further translation once started, and induction of a conformation change that results in the incorporation of incorrect amino acid. |
linezolid | Protein synthesis inhibitors | |
isoniazid | Antimycobacterial,
Used for TB, leprosy | Inhibition of mycolic acid synthesis, bactericidal for growing forms, bacteriostatic for resting forms. |
rifampin | Antimycobacterial,
Used for TB, leprosy | Inhibition of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase, blocking transcription |
dapsone | Antimycobacterial,
Used for leprosy | Antifolate, similar to sulfa drugs. |
Vancomycin | Glycopeptides,
Exclusively G+ bacteria (MRSA, MRSE, VRE),
No use against G-,
Only IV | Inhibits bacterial cell wall biosynthesis, binds to a peptide-lined cleft in peptidoglycan. |
Metronidazole | Parasitic and bacterial infections. ESP c. diff. | Unknown, but thought to produce reactive oxygen species. |
Polymyxin B | Cell wall disrupter,
Limited to drug-resistant G- infections | Surface-active amphipathic molecules that disrupt plasma membrane |
penicillin G | -cillin,
Beta-Lactams,
Natural Penicillins,
Narrow G+ coverage,
Limited G- activity,
Renally excreted unchanged | Irreversible inhibition of PBPs that assist in formation and remodeling of bacterial cell wall. Inhibition leads to decreased cell wall synthesis and repair. Lysis due to osmotic pressure. |