title: Experience with ampicillin/sulbactam in severe infections.
abstract: The emergence of beta-lactamase-mediated resistance to established beta-lactam antibiotics prompted the development of beta-lactamase inhibitors for co-administration. Ampicillin has been combined with sulbactam for both parenteral and oral (as the mutual pro-drug sultamicillin) administration. The combination is active in vitro against a wide variety of Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens, including aerobic and anaerobic organisms. In clinical trials, ampicillin/sulbactam has proved clinically and bacteriologically effective against a variety of frequently encountered pediatric infections, including mild-to-moderate upper respiratory tract infections (acute otitis media, sinusitis, pharyngitis, and tonsillitis), severe post-operative and intra-abdominal infections, periorbital infections (which, left untreated, can lead to blindness, brain abscess, or death), acute epiglottitis, bacterial meningitis, and brain abscess. Ampicillin/sulbactam has also proved effective in the prevention of post-operative surgical infections in pediatric patients. The clinical efficacy profile of ampicillin/sulbactam and sultamicillin, combined with their excellent tolerability profile, make these agents attractive options for the management of many life-threatening infections in pediatric patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. gkanra@gen.hun.edu.tr
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kanra
mesh_terms: D000667:Ampicillin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000188:drug therapy; D017719:Diabetic Foot / Q000188:drug therapy; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004826:Epiglottitis / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy; D009916:Orbital Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D012449:Safety; D013407:Sulbactam / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014526:Urethritis / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D000667:Ampicillin; D013407:Sulbactam