Antibiotic Classes
Antibiotic Classes is a structured health & wellness dataset with 15 entries. Its fields include Class, Examples, Mechanism. The source values are preserved as a structured reference table.
Every row is shown below and is also available as CSV, JSON, or Excel.
Dataset details
- Table scope
- All 15 rows
- Fields
- 6 columns
- Source
- Community curated
- Data updated
- Apr 9, 2026
Included fields: Class, Examples, Mechanism, Spectrum, Common Uses, and 1 more.
The table contains every record in this dataset; the same records are available in each download format.
Preview observations
No reliable range or grouping can be calculated from the loaded rows without interpreting the source data.
Useful for
- Comparing Class, Examples, and Mechanism across health & wellness entries
- Building reference tables, charts, or analyses from 15 downloadable records
Class↕ | Examples↕ | Mechanism↕ | Spectrum↕ | Common Uses↕ | Known For↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Penicillins (natural) | Penicillin G, penicillin V | Inhibit cell wall synthesis (PBPs) | Narrow, mainly gram-positive | Strep throat, syphilis, dental infections | First antibiotic, discovered by Fleming in 1928, still first-line for strep and syphilis |
Aminopenicillins | Amoxicillin, ampicillin | Beta-lactam cell wall inhibition | Broader, some gram-negative | Ear infections, sinusitis, UTIs, dental | Amoxicillin is one of the most prescribed antibiotics in the world, often combined with clavulanate |
Cephalosporins | Cephalexin, ceftriaxone, cefepime | Beta-lactam cell wall inhibition | Varies by generation (1st-5th) | Skin, bone, meningitis (ceftriaxone), surgical prophylaxis | Five generations with increasing gram-negative coverage, ceftriaxone is hospital workhorse |
Macrolides | Azithromycin, clarithromycin, erythromycin | Inhibit 50S ribosomal subunit | Gram-positive, atypicals | Respiratory infections, chlamydia, H. pylori | Azithromycin famous Z-Pak, used for atypical pneumonia, prolongs QT interval |
Tetracyclines | Doxycycline, minocycline, tetracycline | Inhibit 30S ribosomal subunit | Broad, including atypicals | Acne, Lyme disease, rickettsial, chlamydia | Cannot be used in children or pregnancy (tooth staining), doxycycline is malaria prophylaxis |
Fluoroquinolones | Ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin | Inhibit DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV | Broad | UTIs, respiratory, GI, anthrax | Black box warnings for tendon rupture and aortic aneurysm, once wildly overused |
Aminoglycosides | Gentamicin, tobramycin, amikacin | Inhibit 30S ribosome (bactericidal) | Gram-negative, synergy with beta-lactams | Serious gram-negative infections, TB | Nephrotoxic and ototoxic, used for life-threatening gram-negative sepsis |
Sulfonamides | Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim) | Folate synthesis inhibition | Broad | UTIs, MRSA, PCP pneumonia | First modern antibacterials (1930s), Bactrim is go-to for uncomplicated UTIs and community MRSA |
Glycopeptides | Vancomycin, teicoplanin | Inhibit cell wall (different site than beta-lactams) | Gram-positive, including MRSA | MRSA, C. difficile (oral), serious gram-positive | IV vancomycin is hospital MRSA workhorse, oral vanco for C. diff, red man syndrome if infused fast |
Carbapenems | Meropenem, imipenem, ertapenem | Beta-lactam cell wall inhibition | Very broad | Severe hospital infections, ESBL bacteria | Last-resort beta-lactams, reserved to prevent resistance, CRE bacteria are the nightmare scenario |
Lincosamides | Clindamycin | Inhibit 50S ribosome | Gram-positive, anaerobes | Skin and soft tissue, dental, aspiration pneumonia | High risk of C. difficile colitis, good for anaerobes above the diaphragm |
Oxazolidinones | Linezolid | Inhibit 50S ribosome initiation | Gram-positive including MRSA and VRE | VRE infections, MRSA pneumonia | One of the few drugs for VRE, oral bioavailability near 100%, serotonin syndrome risk |
Nitroimidazoles | Metronidazole (Flagyl) | DNA damage in anaerobes/protozoa | Anaerobes, protozoa | C. difficile, BV, trichomoniasis, abscesses | Disulfiram-like reaction with alcohol, also treats giardia and amoebiasis |
Polymyxins | Colistin, polymyxin B | Disrupt gram-negative cell membrane | Gram-negative (MDR) | Last resort for multi-drug resistant gram negatives | Abandoned for decades due to toxicity, now resurrected for resistant hospital infections |
Rifamycins | Rifampin, rifabutin, rifaximin | Inhibit bacterial RNA polymerase | Mycobacteria, some gram-positive | Tuberculosis, leprosy, prosthetic device infections | Turns urine and tears orange-red, cornerstone of TB therapy, strong CYP450 inducer |
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Frequently asked questions
How is Antibiotic Classes organized?
The table starts in the source data's default order. You can sort and filter the loaded rows by the displayed fields.
How much data is available on this page?
This dataset contains 15 entries, and every row is available in the table and in the downloadable files.
Can I download the complete dataset?
Yes. CSV, JSON, and Excel downloads contain all 15 rows. Before republishing the data, review the source and any usage terms listed on this page; dtbse does not replace the original source's licensing terms.
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