Ampicillin sodium / sulbactam sodium
Adult
PO
Susceptible infections 375-750 mg bid for 5-14 days or longer
IM/IV
Susceptible infections 1.5-3 g 6 hrly. Max: 12 g/day.
Adverse drug reactions: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, erythematous maculo-papular rashes, sore mouth, black/hairy tongue, rash, erythema multiforme, hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, leucopenia, neutropenia, coagulation disorders, prolonged bleeding time and prothrombin time, CNS toxicity, anaphylaxis.
See reference for details. CIMS Drug Information System. Internet. Accessed on January 10, 2016.
A combination formulation of the sodium salts of the antibiotic ampicillin and the beta-lactamase inhibitor sulbactam with antibacterial activity.
Ampicillin, a broad-spectrum, semisynthetic penicillin, binds to and inactivates penicillin-binding proteins (PBP) located on the inner membrane of the bacterial cell wall, thereby interfering with the cross-linking of peptidoglycan chains necessary for bacterial cell wall strength and rigidity. As a result, the cell wall is weakened and the cell lyses.
The sulbactam component irreversibly binds to bacterial beta-lactamase at or near its active site, thereby interfering with substrate binding and inhibiting bacterial metabolism of penicillin and cephalosporin beta-lactam antibiotics, effectively extending their antibiotic spectrum to include many beta-lactam-resistant bacteria.
National Cancer Institute. NCI Drug Dictionary. Internet. September 15, 2009.