Antibiotics are unique medicines due to which at the beginning of the 20th century it became possible to effectively treat many diseases that were previously difficult to treat or even incurable. Augmentin is one of the most famous and medically proven antibiotic drugs, which contains a combination of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid.
What Are the Uses for Augmentin?
Low doses of the drug are used to treat infections of the skin and soft tissues, as well as recurrent chronic tonsillitis (inflammation of the palatine and pharyngeal tonsils). High doses are used to treat various diseases of a bacterial nature, such as otitis media, sinusitis, infections of the lower respiratory tract and urinary tract, ailments of bones and joints. It can also be prescribed for animal bites and dentoalveolar abscesses (inflammation of the gums and other structures that surround the teeth).
The list of bacteria sensitive to Augmentin is quite wide. These include, in particular, the following microorganisms:
- Streptococcus pneumoniae
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Enterococcus faecalis
- Haemophilus parainfluenzae
- Neisseria gonorrhoeae
- Eikenella corrodens
- Corynebacterium
- Klebsiella oxytoca
- Proteus vulgaris
- Salmonella
Some microbes are insensitive to this antibiotic (chlamydia, enterobacteria, mycoplasma). Therefore, it is recommended to start drug therapy after checking the sensitivity to it.
The medication can be used during the period of gestation and lactation, however, before starting therapy, it is necessary to consult a doctor, since the components of the antibiotic can penetrate through the placental barrier and into breast milk. Therefore, a doctor must weigh all the possible risks and potential benefits for a pregnant woman or mother before issuing a prescription for Augmentin.
According to the study by GlaxoSmithKline scientists (A.R. White, C. Kaye et al., 2004), Augmentin was recognized an important agent for treating community-acquired respiratory tract infections, both at that moment and in the future. V. Tkachuk (2000) evaluated its efficiency in treating inflammatory diseases of the urogenital organs, stating that all patients participating in the study (although there were not many of them) were successfully treated. There are many other studies of Augmentin, so we can state that this is a widely spread, well-tolerated and in most cases safe medication.
An interesting topic: Antibiotics and Their Hazards to Male Potency and Fertility
Drug Interactions
Care should be taken when using medicines containing probenecid, for example, Probalan (they are used to increase urinary acid excretion in the urine during the treatment of gout and hyperuricemia). This warning is due to the fact probenecid can lead to an increase in the amount of the active substance of the antibiotic in the blood, since it slows the elimination of this substance from the body.
Augmentin is also known to weaken the effectiveness of estrogen-based birth control pills.
Patients who take an antibiotic may experience fluctuations in prothrombin time, that is, the time of clot formation after adding a special factor (this indicator is used to assess the rate of blood coagulation). Therefore, in the case of simultaneous treatment with oral coagulants, a titration in the dosage of these medicines may be required.
Augmentin and Alcohol
It is believed that this antibiotic does not interact with ethanol at the biochemical level. However, since antibiotic drugs have a harmful effect on the liver, doctors generally advise against drinking alcohol during Augmentin treatment. Others believe that drinking alcohol is possible, but should not be abused, as strong drinks can make it difficult to process pharmaceutical substances in the liver.
