Antibiotics

Natural or synthetic substances that have a killing (bactericidal) or inhibiting (bacteriostatic) effect on pathogenic microorganisms, usually bacteria. Antibiotics attack the microbes e.g. at the cell wall(penicillins, cephalosporins), cell membrane permeability(polymyxins), nucleic 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, in the presence of calcium, form pores (ion channels) that lead to cytolysis of the pathogens (see also daptomycin).

Due to their inhibition of nucleic acid and protein synthesis, some antibiotics are also used as cytostatics, and in some cases also as immunosuppressants (e.g. Adria-, Dauno-, Mito-, Actinomycin).

Topical antibiotics are mostly used to treat wounds or for eradication in cases of MRSA/ORSA colonization (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
• Tetracycline

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