Antibiotic
ampicillin
am·pi·cil·lin [ am-puh-sil-in ]
Brand Names:
Polyflex; Unasyn
Effect:
Decreased Cell Wall Synthesis & Repair
May Prevent:
Endocarditis, Bacterial
May Treat:
Actinomycosis;
Bites, Human;
Dysentery, Bacillary;
Endocarditis, Bacterial;
Escherichia coli Infections;
Gonorrhea;
Haemophilus Infections;
Klebsiella Infections;
Listeriosis;
Meningitis, Bacterial;
Meningococcal Infections;
Pneumococcal Infections;
Pregnancy Complications, Infectious;
Respiratory Tract Infections;
Salmonella Infections;
Skin Diseases, Bacterial;
Soft Tissue Infections;
Staphylococcal Infections;
Surgical Wound Infection;
Urinary Tract Infections
More Information:
Definitions related to ampicillin:
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A broad-spectrum, semi-synthetic, beta-lactam penicillin antibiotic with bactericidal activity. Ampicillin binds to and inactivates penicillin-binding proteins (PBP) located on the inner membrane of the bacterial cell wall. Inactivation of PBPs interferes with the cross-linkage of peptidoglycan chains necessary for bacterial cell wall strength and rigidity. This interrupts bacterial cell wall synthesis and results in the weakening of the bacterial cell wall and causes cell lysis. Ampicillin is stable against hydrolysis by a variety of beta-lactamases, therefore, can be used in wide range of gram-positive and -negative infections.NCI ThesaurusU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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Semi-synthetic derivative of penicillin that functions as an orally active broad-spectrum antibiotic.CRISP ThesaurusNational Institutes of Health, 2006
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Ampicillin, drug used in the treatment of various infections, including otitis media (middle ear infection), sinusitis, and acute bacterial cystitis. Ampicillin (or alpha-aminobenzylpenicillin) is a semisynthetic penicillin, one of the first such antibiotics developed. Similar in action to...Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2020
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