Antibiotics

Natural or synthetic substances which have a killing (bactericidal) or inhibiting (bacteriostatic) effect on pathogenic micro-organisms, usually bacteria. Antibiotics attack the microbes e.g. at the cell wall ( penicillins, cephalosporins), the cell membrane permeability(polymyxins), the nucleus and protein synthesis ( tetracyclines, gyrase inhibitors, pleuromutilins, oxazolidinone, chloramphenicol, aminoglycosides, lincosamides, macrolides, glycylclines). Cyclic lipopeptides penetrate the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane via lipid side chains and form pores (ion channels) in the presence of calcium, which lead to cytolysis of the pathogens (see also daptomycin).

Some antibiotics are also used as cytostatics, sometimes also as immunosuppressants, because of their inhibition of nucleic acid and protein synthesis (e.g. Adria-, Dauno-, Mito-, Actinomycin).

Topical antibiotics are mostly used for the treatment of wounds or for eradication in case of colonization with MRSA/ORSA (e.g. mupirocin). Topical antibiotics also play a role in acne therapy (e.g. erythromycin)

The following active ingredients play a role in dermatology (see also active ingredients, dermatological):

• Amikacin
• Azithromycin
• Bacitracin
• Clindamycin
• Erythromycin
• Fusidic acid
• Gentamicin
• Metronidazole
• Mupirocin
• Neomycin
• Retapamulin
• Tetracyclines

Overview of the most important antibiotics

Penicillin

• Penicillin
• Benzypencillin (Pencillin G)
• Phenoxypenicillin (Penicillin V)
• Aminopenicillins
• Amoxipenicillin
• Ampicillin
• Aminopenicillins/Betalactamase inhibitors
• Amoxicillin/Clavulanic acid
• Ampcilllin/Sulbactam
• Acylamiopenicillins
• Mezlocillin
• Piperacillin
• Acylaminopenicillins/betactamase inhibitors
• piperacillin/tacobactam
• Isoxyzylpenicillins
• Flucloxacillin

Cephalosporins

• Group1
• Cefazolin
• Cefalexin
• Cefadroxil
• Cefaclor
• Group 2
• Cefuroxime
• Cefotiam
• Group 3a
• Cefotaxime
• Ceftibuten
• Cefotriaxone
• Cefexim
• Cefpodoxime
• Group 3b
• Ceftazidem
• Group 4
• Cefepim
• Group 5
• Ceftarolin
• Ceftobiprole

Carbapenems

• imipenem/cilastatin

Glycopeptides

• Vancomycin
• Teicoplanin

Fluoroquinolones

• Group 1
• norfloxacin
• Group 2
• Ofloxacin
• Ciprofloxacin
• Group 3
• Lefloxacin
• Group 4
• Moxifloxacin

Macrolides

• Older macrolides
• Erythromycin
• Newer macrolides
• Azithromycin
• Clarithromycin
• Roxithromycin
• Telithromycin

Aminoglycosides

• Amikacin
• Gentamycin
• Tobramycin

Tetracyclines

• Tetracycline
• Chlortetracycline
• Oxytetracycline
• Doxycycline
• Minocycline

Trimethroprim

• trimethroprime/co-trimooxazole

See below for information on the targeted therapeutic use of antibiotics:

• "Notes on antibiotic therapy"
• "Antibiotic Stewardship".

1. DGI: Definition Antibiotic Stewardship: https://www.dgi-net.de/fort-und-weiterbildung/antibiotic-stewardship-abs/

2. Dyar OJ et al.(2017) What is antimicrobial stewardship? Clin Microbiol Infect 23: 793-798

3. Gelmetti C et al (2008) Local antibiotics in dermatology. Dermatologic Therapy 21: 187-195

4. Lloyd D et al (2018) Antimicrobial Stewardship in Veterinary Medicine. Microbiology spectrum 6: 10.1128/microbiolspec ARBA-0023-2017.

5. Rittenhouse S et al (2006) Selection of retapamulin, a novel pleuromutilin for topical use. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 50: 3882-3885