β-Lactamase Inhibitors

Numerous β-lactamase inhibitors have been developed to overcome the problems of bacterial resistance to β-lactam antibiotics. One such agent, clavulanic acid, has been combined with amoxicillin, and the combination is effective against many amoxicillin-resistant organisms. Clinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of amoxicillin/clavulanate in a variety of infections, however, comparative studies are few and have not demonstrated sufficiently the superiority of the combination over conventional antibiotic therapy. In addition, side effects appear to be more frequent than with amoxicillin alone. The place in therapy of amoxicillin/clavulanate is discussed.