Drugs

Oxytetracycline : Therapeutic uses, Dosage & Side Effects

Oxytetracycline : Therapeutic uses, Dosage & Side Effects

Oxytetracycline is an broad spectrum tetracycline antibiotic.
Dose : 300 mg BD
Route : Mouth, Topical
Onset of action : ?
Plasma Half-life : 6-10 hours
Duration of action : ?
Bioavailability : ?
Plasma protein binding : Low
Metabolism : ?
Pregnancy risk category : D
Chemical formula : C22H24N2O9
IUPAC name : (4S,4aR,5S,5aR,6S,12aS)-4-(Dimethylamino)-3,5,6,10,11,12a-hexahydroxy-6-methyl-1,12-dioxo-1,4,4a,5,5a,6,12,12a-octahydrotetracene-2-carboxamide
Trade name : Terramycin
Antibacterial spectrum : Oxytetracycline is active against a wide variety of bacteria. Resistance is a big problem.
Therapeutic uses : Oxytetracycline is used to treat many infections such as Chlamydia infections, Mycoplasma infections, acne (due to its activity against Propionibacterium acnes). It is especially valuable in treating nonspecific urethritis, Lyme disease, brucellosis, cholera, typhus, tularaemia, chlamydia infections, mycoplasma infections and rickettsia infections.
Oxytetracycline also have veterinary indications such as control the outbreak of American foulbrood and European foulbrood in honeybees, breathing disorders in livestock.
Mechanism of action : Tetracyclines enter susceptible organisms via passive diffusion & by an energy-dependent transport protein mechanism unique to the bacterial inner cytoplasmic membrane. Tetracyclines concentrate intracellularly in susceptible organisms. The drugs bind reversibly to the 30S subunit of the bacterial ribosome. This action prevents binding of aminoacyl-t-RNA to the mRNA–ribosome complex, thereby inhibiting bacterial protein synthesis.
Side effects : Oxytetracycline may cause following side effects :

  • Irritative effects : Epigastric pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea. The irritative diarrhoea is to be distinguished from that due to superinfection.
  • Kidney damage (prominent only in the presence of existing kidney disease).
  • A reversible Fancony syndrome like condition is produced by outdated tetracyclines due to proximal tubular damage caused by degraded products-epitetracycline, anhydrotetracycline and epianhydrotetracycline. Exposure to acidic pH, moisture and heat favours such degradation.
  • Phototoxicity (Distortion of nails occurs occasionally)
  • Liver damage : Fatty infiltration of liver and jaundice occurs occasionally.
  • Antianabolic effect : Reduce protein synthesis and cause an overall catabolic effect. It induces negative nitrogen balance and can increase blood urea.
  • Increased intracranial pressure is noted insome infants.
  • Hypersensitivity reactions (infrequent) : Skin rashes, urticaria, glossitis, pruritus ani and vulvae, even exfoliative dermatitis have been reported. Complete cross sensitization is exhibited by different tetracyclines.
  • Superinfection : Tetracyclines are the most common antibiotics responsible for superinfections, because they cause marked suppression of the resident flora.
  • Teeth and bones : Tetracyclines have chelating property. Calcium-tetracycline chelate gets deposited in developing teeth and bone. Given from midpregnancy to 5 months of extrauterine life, the deciduous teeth are affected: brown discolouration, ill-formed teeth, more susceptible to caries. Tetracyclines given between 3 months and 6 years of age affect the crown of permanent anterior dentition. Repeated courses are more damaging.
    Given during late pregnancy or childhood, tetracyclines can cause temporary suppression of bone growth. The ultimate effect on stature is mostly insignificant, but deformities and reduction in height are a possibility with prolonged use.

Drug Interactions 
Contraindications 

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