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A Review of Penicillin
Abstract
One of the most widely used broad-spectrum antibiotics worldwide, penicillin has a wide range of clinical uses. Penicillin is a key component of the β-lactam antibiotic class of medications and is effective against infections caused by gram-positive cocci, gram-positive rods, most anaerobes, and gram-negative cocci. The majority of bacteria have a peptidoglycan cell wall that surrounds the bacterial plasma membrane, providing structural stability and preventing osmotic lysis. This peptidoglycan wall is constantly changing, particularly during development and replication. Penicillin works by stopping peptidoglycan from cross-linking within the cell wall.
Penicillin should only be used against susceptible species due to the increase of resistance. Penicillin's signs and symptoms, mechanism of action, administration, adverse event profile, pharmacokinetics, monitoring, and relevant interactions for interprofessional healthcare team members in infection therapy are all covered in this activity. This exercise improves patient outcomes by helping the clinical team better understand how to quickly diagnose and treat multiple illnesses with the right antibiotic.
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