What are examples of penicillin (antibiotics)?

From the Guidelines

Penicillins are a group of antibiotics that include natural, semisynthetic, and aminopenicillins, with examples including Penicillin G and Penicillin V, which are used for streptococcal infections, as well as ampicillin and amoxicillin, which have a broader spectrum of activity against gram-negative bacteria 1.

Key Points

• Penicillins work by interfering with bacterial cell wall synthesis, causing cell death.
• Common examples of penicillins include:
  • Natural penicillins: Penicillin G (benzylpenicillin) and Penicillin V (phenoxymethylpenicillin)
  • Semisynthetic penicillins: methicillin, nafcillin, oxacillin, cloxacillin, and dicloxacillin
  • Aminopenicillins: ampicillin and amoxicillin
• Penicillins are prescribed at various doses depending on the specific infection, patient age, weight, and kidney function, with typical treatment courses ranging from 7-14 days for most infections 1.

Dosage and Administration

• The dosage and administration of penicillins vary depending on the specific infection and patient factors, such as age and weight.
• For example, the recommended dosage for Penicillin V is 250 mg b.i.d. or t.i.d. for children, and 250 mg t.i.d. or q.i.d. for adolescents and adults 1.

Spectrum of Activity

• Penicillins have a narrow spectrum of activity against gram-positive bacteria, but can be effective against certain gram-negative bacteria, such as Neisseria and Haemophilus species.
• Aminopenicillins, such as ampicillin and amoxicillin, have a broader spectrum of activity against gram-negative bacteria compared to natural penicillins 1.

From the FDA Drug Label

Penicillin G is highly active in vitro against streptococci (groups A, B, C, G, H, L, and M) and Neisseria meningitidis Other organisms susceptible in vitro to penicillin G are Neisseria gonorrhoeae,Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Bacillus anthracis, clostridia, Actinomyces species, Spirillum minus, Streptobacillus moniliformis, Listeria monocytogenes, and leptospira;Treponema pallidum is extremely susceptible Penicillin V exerts high in vitroactivity against staphylococci (except penicillinase-producing strains), streptococci (groups A, C, G, H, L and M), and pneumococci. Other organisms sensitive in vitroto penicillin V are Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Bacillus anthracis, Clostridia, Actinomyces bovis, Streptobacillus moniliformis, Listeria monocytogenes, Leptospira,and Neisseria gonorrhoeae Treponema pallidumis extremely sensitive.

Examples of penicillins include:

• Penicillin G 2
• Penicillin V 3 These are specific types of penicillin mentioned in the provided drug labels.

From the Research

Penicillin Examples

Some examples of penicillin include:

• Penicillin V, which is used to treat infections such as pneumonia and streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis 4, 5
• Amoxicillin, which is often compared to penicillin V in terms of efficacy and is used to treat similar infections 4, 5

Specific Uses

Penicillin is used to treat various bacterial infections, including:

• Pneumonia, specifically Streptococcus pneumoniae 4
• Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis 5
• Non-severe pneumonia attended in the community 4

Comparison to Other Antibiotics

Studies have compared the efficacy of penicillin to other antibiotics, such as:

• Amoxicillin, which may be superior to penicillin for bacteriologic and clinical cure of GABHS tonsillopharyngitis 5
• High-dose penicillin V versus high-dose amoxicillin for the treatment of uncomplicated community-acquired pneumonia 4