Tazobactam
A beta-lactamase inhibitor given only with piperacillin, protecting it from beta-lactamases in serious hospital infections.
Drug card
- How it works
- Inactivating bacterial beta-lactamases so the partner penicillin survives
- Used for
- Hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated pneumonia
- Complicated intra-abdominal infections
- Complicated urinary tract infections
- Complicated skin infections, such as diabetic foot
- Known for
- Acute kidney injury, more so with vancomycin
- Its name
- -bactam means a beta-lactamase inhibitor
Study it as a flashcard, and it comes back before you forget it.
Mechanism of action
How does tazobactam work?
Tazobactam is a penicillanic acid sulfone. It binds irreversibly at or near the active site of many beta-lactamases, chiefly class A penicillinases and cephalosporinases, so they cannot break down piperacillin; it inhibits some other classes less well. It binds PBPs weakly, so it has little antibacterial effect of its own.
Like other beta-lactamase inhibitors: Beta-lactamase inhibitors are beta-lactams with almost no useful antibacterial action of their own. They bind at or near the active site of bacterial beta-lactamases and inactivate them, so a partner penicillin given with them is not broken down. Clavulanic acid and tazobactam block mainly class A enzymes; class B, C and D beta-lactamases escape clavulanic acid.
Uses
What is tazobactam used for?
- Hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated pneumonia
- Complicated intra-abdominal infections
- Complicated urinary tract infections
- Complicated skin infections, such as diabetic foot
- Fever in neutropenia (suspected infection)
- Bloodstream infection (bacteremia)
Side effects
Side effects of tazobactam
- Acute kidney injury, more so with vancomycinKnown forSerious
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Nausea
- Headache
- Rash
- Allergic reactions, including anaphylaxisSerious
- C. difficile colitisSerious
- Bleeding from impaired platelet functionSerious
- Low white cells on long coursesSerious
- Seizures at high dosesSerious
- Low potassium
Known for marks what an exam expects you to know it for.
Watch for
Cautions and what sets it apart
- Given only with piperacillin: allergy to any penicillin, cephalosporin or beta-lactamase inhibitor rules the combination out.
- Critically ill patients: higher risk of kidney failure, more so with vancomycin, so kidney function is monitored.
- Probenecid slows the elimination of both piperacillin and tazobactam, so the two are best not combined.
Good to know: This card covers tazobactam as the beta-lactamase inhibitor partner in piperacillin/tazobactam; it is never given alone.
Remember it
A way to remember it
A bodyguard for the penicillin: the inhibitor takes the beta-lactamase's hit so the penicillin survives to kill.
Clavulanic acid and tazobactam are beta-lactams that tie up beta-lactamase at its active site. They do almost nothing to bacteria on their own; their job is to keep amoxicillin or piperacillin intact.
Written for biofideX
Its name
-bactam means beta-lactamase inhibitor
Tazobactam, sulbactam and relebactam protect a partner beta-lactam from bacterial enzymes. Clavulanic acid works the same way without the stem.
- Every drug name stem
Its class
Beta-lactamase inhibitors
Other beta-lactamase inhibitors with a card:
Easily mixed up with penicillins and carbapenems.
Sources
Checked against
Written for biofideX in plain words, after checking these references:
- Piperacillin and tazobactam for injection: label (DailyMed)
- Piperacillin/tazobactam 4 g/0.5 g powder for solution for infusion: SmPC (emc)
- Tazobactam (NCI Thesaurus)
For learning pharmacology, not for treatment decisions: no doses are given, and a prescriber, pharmacist or the product's own label is the word on any one patient. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we'll correct it.
Antibiotics: the cell wall
Tazobactam is one of 12 drugs practiced together here: their classes, how they work, what they treat and what they're known for.
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