Resistance to penicillin has led to the development of derivatives with a greater spectrum of action, and of penicillins resistant to beta-lactamase. This enzyme is produced by some bacteria and is responsible for their resistance to the action of antibiotics from the penicillin group.
The use, often indiscriminate, of these drugs due to the fear of a complication, causes the microorganisms to develop a greater resistance. Resistance to penicillin occurs in about 25% of strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from patients with otitis media, and they share this resistance with about 33% of Haemophilus influenzae strains .
The problem of resistance to penicillin and other antibiotics has led many countries to develop policies for the rational use of antibiotics. What is important, beyond legislation and guidelines, is that both doctors and patients understand that antibiotics cannot be used indiscriminately.
What is penicillin and how does it work?
Penicillins are a subclass of antibiotics called beta-lactam antibiotics. These are antibiotics that contain a chemical structure called the beta-lactam ring.
They are used to treat infections caused by bacteria categorized as gram-positive and some gram-negative – streptococci in the first case and meningococcal infections in the second. Penicillin kills bacteria by preventing them from forming the cell wall that protects them.
However, some bacteria produce substances -enzymes- that can inactivate beta – lactam antibiotics. To avoid this, if the infection is caused by this type of bacteria, penicillins are administered in combination with drugs that prevent the action of these enzymes.
Penicillins distribute rapidly in most tissues, especially in the presence of inflammation. All are eliminated at least partially in the urine, and most reach high concentrations in it.
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