Medications

Penicillin allergy? Maybe not

Penicillin belongs to a group of antibiotics used by health care professionals to combat a wide array of bacterial infections, including strep throat, ear infections and pneumonia. Penicillin, one of the most widely prescribed ...

Medications

Why should I be evaluated for a penicillin allergy?

Taking action to be evaluated for a penicillin allergy can impact your health, safety and wallet. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 10% of the U.S. population reports a penicillin allergy, but less ...

Medications

90% of penicillin allergy labels in Hong Kong found to be false

A collaborative research team led by Dr. Philip Li from the LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) has pioneered a new nurse-led penicillin allergy triage and testing strategy—the Hong Kong Drug Allergy ...

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Penicillin

Penicillin (sometimes abbreviated PCN or pen) is a group of antibiotics derived from Penicillium fungi. Penicillin antibiotics are historically significant because they were the first drugs that were effective against many previously serious diseases such as syphilis and Staphylococcus infections. Penicillins are still widely used today, though many types of bacteria are now resistant. All penicillins are Beta-lactam antibiotics and are used in the treatment of bacterial infections caused by susceptible, usually Gram-positive, organisms.

The term "penicillin" can also refer to the mixture of substances that are naturally produced.

The term "penam" is used to describe the core skeleton of a member of a penicillin antibiotic. This skeleton has the molecular formula R-C9H11N2O4S, where R is a variable side chain.

This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA