Augmentin

Augmentin and 25 years of efficient treatment of the respiratory system Infection.

Augmentin is available on the pharmaceutical market for more than 20 years and remains one the most prescribed antibiotic for the treatment of respiratory system infections. The unique Augmentin properties consist in high therapeutic activity and good tolerability. For more than 20 years of Augmentin clinical application the most of microorganisms that cause upper or lower respiratory system infections remain highly sensitive to Augmentin ingredients.

Augmentin contains 2 active ingredients amoxicillin and clavulanic acid. Amoxicillin was discovered by the laboratory Beecham in 1972. Amoxicillin is a broad spectrum penicillin Antibiotics that possesses a very good bioavailability. However, amoxicillin itself is not effective against a range of microorganisms that produce beta-lactamase(special compounds that inactivate amoxicillin by breaking beta-lactam ring in amoxicillin).

Another ingredient of Augmentin is a clavulanic acid that is beta-lactamase inhibitor. Clavulanic acid inactivates beta-lactamase produced by bacteria and ,thus , makes possible for amoxicillin to exert bactericidal action without being inactivated. The combination of Clavulanic acid and Amoxicillin makes the medication irreplaceable in the treatment of many infectious diseases.

Augmentin acts on bacteria that produce beta-lactamase, including S. aureus, E. coli, H. influenzae, K. pneumomiae, B. Fragilis.. The efficiency of the medication is proved for the treatment of infectious diseases of the urinary treatment, upper and lower airways and skin infections. Some recent investigations have shown that the efficiency of Augmentin in respiratory system infections and otitis media reaches nearly 90%. In most cases the doctor do not have a possibility to determine the exact pathogenic agents and its sensitivity to different antibiotics. In this situation Augmentin can be recommended as drug of choice in empiric therapy of the airways infection.

Augmentin is available in different pharmaceutical forms like syrup, suspension, tablets, chewable tablets suitable for both adults and children. The medication is usually taken every 10-12 hours depending on the forms type and dosage. It’s recommended to take Augmentin with meal in order to avoid possible stomach problems. Augmentin dosage is usually based on type of the bacteria that caused infection, patient’s age and weight, pharmaceutical form, general health conditions and other medications currently taking.

25 years of Augmentin clinical application showed that the medication is well tolerable and does not cause any significant side effects.. The most of patients do not experience any adverse effects. Only 8.4% complained on stomach problems(diarrhea). Other Augmentin side effects include: nausea, vomiting. In very cases the signs of liver damage, vaginal candida infection and skin reactions were observed as well.

In spite of its good tolerability, Augmentin is contraindicated for patients with allergy to penicillin antibiotics, severe liver and kidney diseases, phenylketonuria. Pregnant women and breastfeeding mother should also avoid taking Augmentin.

In conclusion it’s necessary to mention that self treatment with Augmentin increases the risk of side effects. Make sure to consult your local doctor before taking Augmentin. Only appropriate use of the medication can guarantee you a high therapeutic effectand lack of significant side effects.

Augmentin. Discovery and development.

Among all half-synthetic penicillin antibiotics created on the basis of 6-aminopenicillanic acid, Co-amoxiclav possesses a unique clinical value due to the broad action spectrum, high antibacterial activity and good tolerance. However, nearly 40 years ago bacterial resistance associated with beta-lactamase production became a serious problem in the treatment of infectious diseases. In response to this problem scientists have chosen two approaches. The first one was to create new Antibiotics more resistant to beta-lactamase, while the second approach included the investigation of substances that could interfere with beta-lactamase effects.

The discovery of the new antibiotics called cephalosporins made possible to increase the resistance to beta-lactamases. However, therapeutic and clinical effect of the first cephalosporins was significantly lower against a range of microorganisms including streptococci, pneumococci, H. influenzae and M. catarrhalis. This fact made scientists to focus on the development of chemical compounds that could help to overcome penicillins beta-lactamase instability.

Corresponding program was initiated by the research laboratory Beecham in 1967. Scientists investigated the ability of the microorganisms to produce natural beta-lactamase. Their efforts made possible to discover clavulanic acid. It was found that Streptomyces clavuligerus microorganisms are able to produce substance that could act as as a competitive inhibitor of beta-lactamases. This discovery allowed to open a new chapter in the treatment of severe infectious diseases.

The first combination of clavulanic acid and penicillin antibiotic Amoxicillin under the brand name Augmentin was approved in the United Kingdom in 1981 and soon in other Europeans and in the USA and Canada. A lot of clinical trials have proven high therapeutic effect of Augmentin in the treatment of infectious diseases of the respiratory and urinary system, soft tissue caused by bacteria that produce beta-lactamase.

Already for 25 years Augmentin remains one of the most prescribed antibacterial medications. The efficiency of Augmentin against pathogenic bacteria such as staphylococci, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis is one of the highest among beta-lactam antibiotics. In addition, Augmentin is available in different pharmaceutic forms such as tablets, vials and syrup. This fact makes Augmentin irreplaceable in pediatric use. World Health Organization have chosen Augmentin as the drug of choice in the treatment of acute otitis in children.

The 25 years in clinical experience of Augmentin application tells us about good tolerance and minimal side effects of the preparation.

Finally, we would like to underline that in spite of high efficiency and good tolerance of Augmentin, each patient should keep in mind that self-treatment without a doctors consultation may cause some life-threatening conditions. Necessarily consult your doctor before the treatment with Augmentin.

I want to talk today about an antibiotic called Augmentin or Co-amoxiclav. Drug is an unique development of English pharmaceutical corporation GlaxoSmithKline. More than 15 years Augmentin have been successfully used in the treatment of different infectious diseases and became one of the most prescribed antibacterial medications all over the world (Augmentin covers more than 30% of the market of all prescribed antibiotics). In 1995 American National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards acknowledged a high efficiency of Augmentin and declared it as a "golden standard" among all penicillin antibiotics. Even today Augmentin remains the drugs of choice in the treatment of wide variety of bacterial infections.

Why did Augmentin become some popular? Why do millions of people choose Augmentin instead of other antibiotics?

Augmentin contains a combination of amoxicillin(the most efficient and safe Antibiotics among all penicillins) and clavulanic acid- the most powerful beta-lactamase inhibitor. The combination of two ingredients gives Augmentin the unique properties. The preparation works following the main principle "assaulting and defending". Clavulanic acid works by irreversibly blocking beta-lactamase both pathogenic and nonpathogenic microorganisms, thus, opening for Amoxicillin a free path for the attack on infectious agents. Such properties made possible the high clinical and bacteriological effectiveness of the preparation in the treatment of many infectious diseases.

A high clinical effectiveness of Co-amoxiclav against different types of infections has been proven in the randomized studies with the participation of more than of 38500 patients over 15 years. More than 40000 publications makes the preparation one of the most studied antibiotic among others.

AUGMENTIN has been licensed in more that 100 countries around the world. Great Britain, the USA, Spain, France included this antibiotic in many recommendations regarding the antibiotic therapy. Augmentin is recommended as antibiotic of the first choice for the empirical therapy of many infections.

The application diapason of the preparation is wide due to its ability to act bactericidally on the aerobic and anaerobic flora (both gram-positive and gram-negative), as well as some specific agents(Borrelia burgdorferi, Chlamydiae, Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae, Treponema pallidum.)

Augmentin is indicated in the treatment of the following infections caused by susceptible to amoxicillin microorganisms:

" Upper and lower respiratory tract infections( tonsillitis, sinusitis, otitis media, aggravation of chronic bronchitis, pneumonia)
" Urinary tract infections(cystitis, urethritis, pyelonephritis, gynecological infections)

" Infections of the skin, soft tissue, bones and joints(osteomyelitis)
" Severe infections(septic abortion, obstetric sepsis, intra-abdominal sepsis)
" Post surgical prophylaxis of infections

Usability of Co-amoxiclav consists in a wide selection of pharmaceutical forms. It is available in the form of tablets(1000 mg and 625 mg) and syrup(457mg/5ml 35ml and 70 ml). Tablets are indicated for adults and syrup for children application. There are 3 types of syrups:

" for children of 2-6 years of age
" for children of 7-12 years of age
" for children of 2 month till 2 years of age

Besides the fact that Augmentin has a high clinical and bacteriological effectiveness, it is also highly safe and tolerable. Clinical trials have shown that the main side effects during the application of Co-amoxiclav were the gastrointestinal disorders - diarrhea (8,4%) and skin reaction such as rash and itching. Other side effects didn’t overshoot 1%. In order to avoid gastrointestinal dysfunctions it is recommended to take the antibiotic during a meal. During a prolonged use, monitoring of the hematopoietic system, liver and kidney function should also be carried.

Before taking Co-amoxiclav each patient should keep in mind the fact that the medication can interact with a certain number of drugs. These may be bactericidal and bacteriostatic antibiotics, blood thinners, aminoglycosides, laxatives, antacids, acid ascorbic, allopurinol, and others.

Making a conclusion we can point that high efficiency and safety made Augmentin so popular among millions of people suffering from bacterial infection.