Tag: Gram negatives

Cephamycins: The Odd Sibling of the Cephalosporin Family

The cephalosporins are a class of beta-lactam antibiotics that is generally classified based on “generations.” These denote the spectrum of bacteria they target, with each successive generation having more gram negative coverage. I am convinced most people only know about ceftriaxone, the prototype third-generation cephalosporin aka an “extended-spectrum beta lactam” along with cefepime, which is

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ESBL Infections: A Conundrum Yet to be Figured Out

Extended spectrum-beta lactamase producing organisms are those gram negatives that make beta-lactamases that inhibit third and fourth generation cephalosporins. As such, things such as piperacillin-tazobactam tends to show up as susceptible in antibiograms, however there has been a push lately towards the use of carbapenems as therapy for infections with these organisms. It seems kind

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Resistance is Futile, For Now – Overcoming Resistance with Ceftazidime-Avibactam

I think we can all agree that resistance is inevitable, despite what the quote says, in the world of infectious diseases. More and more, the use of broad spectrum antibiotics (looking at you, vanco-zosyn!) brings upon more resistant organisms, with beta-lactamases being one of the key methods of resistance in many gram negative bacteria. As

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