methicillin
Noun: A semisynthetic penicillin antibiotic, chemically resistant to penicillinase, used primarily to treat infections caused by penicillin-resistant staphylococci.
"Methicillin" is used as a non-proprietary drug name. It is typically discussed in medical, pharmaceutical, and microbiological contexts. * The laboratory confirmed the infection was sensitive to methicillin. * The use of methicillin has largely been superseded by other antibiotics in clinical practice.
- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA): This is the most common advanced usage. It refers to a specific strain of bacteria that has developed resistance to methicillin and other related antibiotics. The term "methicillin" is used historically here, as methicillin itself is no longer clinically used for testing; the term "MRSA" persists.
- The patient was isolated after being diagnosed with an MRSA infection.
- Methicillin Sodium: The salt form of the drug, which is soluble and used for injection.
- Methicillin-resistant (adj.): Describing bacteria, especially , that are not killed by methicillin.
- Methicillin-resistant strains are a major concern in hospitals.
- Penicillinase-resistant penicillin (This is a class description, not a direct synonym for the specific drug methicillin).
While "methicillin" specifically names a single antibiotic compound, its primary contemporary significance is historical and serves as a reference point in the term MRSA. The drug itself was withdrawn from general clinical use due to a higher risk of adverse effects compared to later alternatives, but its name remains critically important in microbiology for classifying resistant bacteria.
- antibiotic drug of the penicillin family used in the treatment of certain staphylococcal infections