2nd Generation Cephalosporins

Summary

Second generation cephalosporins are beta lactam antibiotics. There are four major drugs that are important to remember - cefoxitin, cefaclor, cefuroxime, and cefotetan. Like the first generation cephalosporins, second generation cephalosporins are highly effective against gram-positive cocci like staph and strep bacteria.

Key Points

• 2nd Generation Cephalosporins
  • Drug Names
    • cefaCLOR
    • cefOXITIN
    • cefuROXIME
    • cefoTETAN
  • Mechanism
    • Same as other Cephalosporins (see: Cephalosporin Overview)
  • Clinical Use
    • Gram-positive cocci (e.g. Staph. spp., Strep. spp.)
      • Also used preoperatively for wound infection prophylaxis
    • Some gram-negative activity
      • H. influenzae
      • Enterobacter aerogenes
      • Neisseria
      • Serratia marcescens
      • Proteus mirabilis
      • E. Coli
      • Klebsiella pneumoniae
  • Adverse Effects
    • Same as other Cephalosporins (see: Cephalosporin Overview)