What is "carbapenem"

Lactam \Lac"tam\, n. [Lactone + amido.] (Chem.) One of a series of anhydrides of an amido type, analogous to the lactones, as oxindol; a cyclic amide. beta-lactam or [beta]-lactam,

1. a lactam in which the amide bond is contained within a four-membered ring, which includes the amide nitrogen and the carbonyl carbon.

2. an antibiotic containing a beta-lactam, such as a penicillin, cephalosporin, or carbapenem; also called a beta-lactam antibiotic. [informal, laboratory slang]

n. (context organic compound English) Any of a class of broad-spectrum beta-lactam antibiotics that are resistant to enzymatic hydrolysis

Carbapenems are antibiotics used for the treatment of infections known or suspected to be caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. Their use is primarily in people who are hospitalized.

Like the penicillins and cephalosporins, they are members of the beta lactam class of antibiotics, which kill bacteria by binding to penicillin-binding proteins and inhibiting cell wall synthesis. They exhibit a broader spectrum of activity compared to cephalosporins and penicillins. Their effectiveness is less affected by many common mechanisms of antibiotic resistance than other beta lactams.

Carbapenem antibiotics were originally developed at Merck & Co. from the carbapenem thienamycin, a naturally derived product of Streptomyces cattleya. Concern has arisen in recent years over increasing rates of resistance to carbapenems, as there are few therapeutic options for treating infections caused by carbapenem-resistant bacteria (such as the carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae and Klebsiella pneumoniae).