Definition

Noun: A type of antibiotic drug, specifically a form of penicillin, that is effective against bacteria which produce the enzyme penicillinase. This enzyme typically inactivates standard penicillin, but this resistant form is not broken down by it.

Usage

This term is used in medical and pharmacological contexts to describe a specific class of antibiotic medications. * Doctors often prescribe a penicillinase-resistant antibiotic for staph infections that are resistant to regular penicillin. * The development of penicillinase-resistant antibiotics was a major advancement in treating bacterial infections.

Advanced Usage

• As a class of drugs: The term often refers collectively to antibiotics like methicillin, oxacillin, and nafcillin.
  • Methicillin was the first widely used penicillinase-resistant antibiotic.

Variants and Related Words

• Penicillinase (n): An enzyme produced by some bacteria that breaks down and inactivates penicillin.
• Beta-lactamase-resistant antibiotic (n): A broader, more technical term that includes penicillinase-resistant antibiotics along with other drugs resistant to similar enzymes.
• Antistaphylococcal penicillin (n): Another clinical term often used synonymously, as these drugs are primarily used against staphylococcal bacteria.

Synonyms

• Beta-lactamase-stable penicillin
• Penicillinase-stable antibiotic

Related Phrases

• Penicillin resistance: The general ability of bacteria to withstand penicillin treatment, often due to penicillinase production.
  • The spread of penicillin resistance necessitated the creation of new drugs.

Noun

1. a form of penicillin that is not rendered inactive by penicillinase