Paper II
2017 February (2010 Scheme) · 40 marks · 120 min

Question

Pharmacological basis for combining beta lactamase inhibitors with beta lactam antibiotics.

Q111 marksShort Answers

Answer

Many resistant bacterial strains produce beta-lactamase enzymes that hydrolyse and inactivate the beta-lactam ring of penicillins/cephalosporins, rendering them ineffective. Beta-lactamase inhibitors (Clavulanic acid, Sulbactam, Tazobactam) themselves have weak/no antibacterial activity but irreversibly inhibit these bacterial beta-lactamase enzymes, protecting the co-administered beta-lactam antibiotic from degradation and thereby extending its spectrum of activity to include beta-lactamase-producing organisms.

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