Cephalosporins Overview Quiz

Cephalosporins

• Cephalosporins are a class of antibiotics that work by inhibiting bacterial cell wall synthesis.
• Different generations of cephalosporins have varying effectiveness against different types of bacteria.

First Generation Cephalosporins

• Primarily effective against Gram-positive bacteria like Staphylococcus and Streptococcus.
• Show limited activity against Gram-negative bacteria.
• Examples include cefadroxil, cefazolin, cephalexin, cephalotin, cephradine, and cephapirin.

Second Generation Cephalosporins

• Exhibit greater activity against Gram-negative bacteria, including Escherichia, Kleibsiella, and Proteus.
• More effective than first-generation cephalosporins against these bacteria types.
• Examples include cefaclor, cefamandole, cefmetazole, cefonicid, cefoxitin, cefprozil, loracarbef, and cefuroxime.

Third Generation Cephalosporins

• Generally less effective against Gram-positive bacteria compared to first-generation cephalosporins.
• Highly effective against penicillinase-producing bacteria, particularly Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
• Examples include cefdinir, cefixime, cefoperazone, cefotaxime, cefotetan, cefpodoxime, ceftazidime, ceftibuten, ceftizoxime, and ceftriaxone.

Fourth Generation Cephalosporins

• Broad-spectrum antibiotics, active against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
• Example: cefepime.

Clinical Applications

• Used in various infections, including urinary tract infections, respiratory tract infections, abdominal infections, septicemia, meningitis, and osteomyelitis.

Test your knowledge on cephalosporins, a class of antibiotics that inhibit bacterial cell wall synthesis. This quiz covers the various generations of cephalosporins, their effectiveness against different bacteria, and notable examples from each generation.