KEY POINTS
- Ampicillin-sulbactam (Unasyn) is the combination of aminopenicillin ampicillin plus beta-lactamase inhibitor sulbactam
- Has activity versus Gram negatives (not Pseudomonas), Gram positives (not MRSA) and anaerobes
- Sulbactam has activity against Acinetobacter
- Adding sulbactam to ampicillin expands coverage to include Bacteroides fragilis, MSSA, and more Gram negative coverage
- Can work for E. coli, but beware resistance
- Resistance is so common it is not a good drug for empiric treatment of intra-abdominal infections
- A common drug for human bite wounds (e.g., “fight bite”) and bite wounds due to cats or dogs, as it is the IV counterpart to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid in the United States
- In some countries amoxicillin-clavulanic acid is available for IV use
- A common antibiotic used by ENT (ear, nose, and throat) providers given coverage against common pathogens in this area of the body
- Common dose is 1.5 gm to 3 gm IV every 6 hours
- Adjust dose/schedule for kidney dysfunction
- A good drug to watch for switch from IV to PO
RESOURCES
