Ampicillin is a beta-lactam antibiotic that is part of the aminopenicillin family and is roughly equivalent to its successor, amoxicillin in terms of spectrum and level of activity. It can sometimes result in reactions that range in severity from a rash (in the case of patients who may unwittingly have mononucleosis) to potentially lethal allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis. However, as with other penicillin drugs, it is relatively nontoxic, and adverse effects of a serious nature are encountered only rarely. Ampicillin is closely related to amoxicillin, another type of penicillin, and both are used to treat urinary tract infections, otitis media, H. influenzae infection, salmonellosis, and Listeria meningitis. It is used with flucloxacillin in the combination antibiotic co-fluampicil for empiric treatment of cellulitis, providing cover against group A streptococcal infection whilst the flucloxacillin acts against Staphylococcus aureus.
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