Augmentin is a combination of Amoxicillin and which inhibitor?

Augmentin is a combination of Amoxicillin and which inhibitor?

• A. Clavulonic acid
• B. Sulbactam
• C. Tazobactam
• D. Avibactam

Answer: (A)

Augmentin pairs amoxicillin with clavulanic acid, a beta-lactamase inhibitor. Some bacteria make beta-lactamase enzymes that destroy the beta-lactam ring of penicillins like amoxicillin, rendering the antibiotic ineffective. Clavulanic acid binds to those enzymes and blocks their action, protecting amoxicillin so it can reach and inhibit the bacterial cell wall synthesis. This combination broadens the antibiotic’s activity to include bacteria that would otherwise resist amoxicillin alone. Other inhibitors exist in different antibiotic combinations (such as sulbactam with ampicillin, tazobactam with piperacillin, or avibactam with ceftazidime), but they are not used in Augmentin.

Augmentin pairs amoxicillin with clavulanic acid, a beta-lactamase inhibitor. Some bacteria make beta-lactamase enzymes that destroy the beta-lactam ring of penicillins like amoxicillin, rendering the antibiotic ineffective. Clavulanic acid binds to those enzymes and blocks their action, protecting amoxicillin so it can reach and inhibit the bacterial cell wall synthesis. This combination broadens the antibiotic’s activity to include bacteria that would otherwise resist amoxicillin alone.

Other inhibitors exist in different antibiotic combinations (such as sulbactam with ampicillin, tazobactam with piperacillin, or avibactam with ceftazidime), but they are not used in Augmentin.