Flucloxacillin is a so-called narrow-spectrum antibiotic. Unlike broad-spectrum antibiotics, it is only effective against a small number of pathogens. Flucloxacillin belongs to the pharmacological group of penicillins and more precisely to the isoxazolylpenicillins. Primarily, the drug is used for the therapy of infectious diseases caused by Staphylococcus aureus.
What is flucloxacillin?
Flucloxacillin is a so-called narrow-spectrum antibiotic. It is used for infectious diseases caused by Staphylococcus aureus. The active ingredient flucloxacillin is an acid-stable substance that passes through the stomach without adverse effects. The half-life of the substance is about 45 minutes on average. In principle, the drug is easily accessible to tissues and also crosses the placental barrier, for example. In addition, the active substance passes into breast milk, which must be taken into account urgently in the context of therapy during pregnancy. The active substance flucloxacillin is predominantly excreted by the renal route. A small proportion is also excreted via the bile. In principle, flucloxacillin is a so-called penicillinase-resistant antibiotic. It was developed primarily for the treatment of staphylococci that produce β-lactamases. For this reason, the substance is sometimes also referred to as staphylococcal penicillin. In addition, the drug flucloxacillin belongs to the group of isoxazolyl antibiotics. The active substance cloxacillin, for example, also belongs to this category. On its basis, however, there are no medical substances approved for use in humans in Germany. In addition, the substances oxacillin and dicloxacillin also belong to the group of isoxazolyl antibiotics. Cloxacillin is on the list of essential medicinal substances drawn up by the WHO. According to the World Health Organization, it is possible to replace this substance with agents from the same category of drugs. In Germany, the drugs oxacillin or flucloxacillin are used for this purpose. In addition, there is a drug called methicillin that is also resistant to penicillinase. However, this is generally only used for resistance testing of MRSE and MRSA. The corresponding germs cannot be treated with the active ingredient flucloxacillin.
Pharmacologic effect
The pharmacological preparation flucloxacillin is characterized primarily by its both bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects. The drug shows activity against Gram-positive germs, which include, for example, streptococci or staphylococci. Unlike numerous other types of penicillins, such as amoxicillin, the drug flucloxacillin exhibits resistance to β-lactamases. This effect is due to the fact that the substance inhibits bacterial cell wall synthesis by impairing transpeptidases. These are jointly responsible for the formation of the peptidoglycan. By inhibiting transpeptidation on the murein strands within the cell walls of the bacteria, flucloxacillin alters the structure of penicillin. As a result, the so-called penicillinase loses its effect. In drugs and medical preparations, the substance flucloxacillin is present as a sodium salt and more precisely as flucloxacillin sodium. It is a powder of white color and crystalline appearance. In addition, the powder exhibits hygroscopic properties and dissolves readily in water. The name Flucloxacillin is an abbreviation and stands for the substance Fluor-Chlor-Oxacillin. In Switzerland, the drug Cloxacillin is also available on the market. This is chloro-oxacillin, which does not contain fluorine. However, this drug is used in Switzerland exclusively in veterinary medicine and is not intended for human therapy.
Medical application and use
Flucloxacillin is used for various diseases. Infectious diseases caused by penicillinase-forming staphylococci usually represent the main indication. These include, for example, infections affecting the skin or mucous membranes and those affecting the respiratory tract and bones. In principle, such staphylococcal strains that are sensitive to penicillin G react more weakly to the active ingredient flucloxacillin.The substance also shows lower efficacy against other gram-positive pathogens than penicillin G. In the majority of cases, flucloxacillin is administered intravenously. Flucloxacillin is suitable for the treatment of infectious diseases caused by a specific type of staphylococci. These include, for example, Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. In addition, the pathogens Klebsiella pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, various types of Neisseria and Bacillus anthracis belong to this category. The active ingredient flucloxacillin is also used, for example, for infections of soft tissue, such as abscesses or furuncles. The drug can also be used for the treatment of paronychia and pyoderma. In addition, flucloxacillin is effective against certain infections of the bone marrow.
Risks and side effects
Digestive disorders and skin rashes often occur during treatment with flucloxacillin. Less commonly, liver disorders associated with bile stasis occur. Flucloxacillin must not be administered in case of intolerance to the active substance or other penicillins. It is also recommended not to use the active substance in cases of severe liver dysfunction. In addition, caution is advised in the context of bronchial asthma. In this case, the prescription of alternatives is recommended.
