Amoxicillin is a moderate-spectrum, bacteriolytic, β-lactam antibiotic in the aminopenicillin family used to treat bacterial infections caused by susceptible microorganisms. It is usually the drug of choice within the class because it is better-absorbed, following oral administration, than other β-lactam antibiotics. Amoxicillin is one of the most common antibiotics prescribed for children. Amoxicillin is susceptible to degradation by β-lactamase-producing bacteria, which are resistant to a narrow spectrum of β-lactam antibiotics, such as penicillin. For this reason, it is often combined with clavulanic acid, a β-lactamase inhibitor. This increases effectiveness by reducing its susceptibility to β-lactamase resistance. Amoxicillin is used in the treatment of a number of infections, including acute otitis media, streptococcal pharyngitis, pneumonia, skin infections, Urinary tract infections, Salmonella infections, Lyme disease, and chlamydia infections.
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