- Impaired skin integrity related to side effects or allergic reaction
- Allergic response
- Hepatotoxicity (toxicity affecting the liver)
- Leukopenia (A decrease in the number of circulating white cells in the blood)
- Neutropenia (abnormal decrease in the number of neutrophils, which are
the most common type of white blood cells in the blood) - Thrombocytopenia (decreased number of platelets in the blood)
- Mental disturbances
- Seizures
- Cross-sensitivity to cephalosporins, cephamycins, griseofulvin, or
penicillamine - Abdominal cramps
- Diarrhea
- Darkened or discolored tongue
- Sore mouth
Penicillin and Patient Education
The patient must be instructed to monitor his or her temperature to be sure that
the infection is subsiding. Generally, healthy patients can expect to see some
improvement in the infection within 48 hours. They should be instructed to return
to or contact the prescriber if symptoms worsen or do not improve somewhat in
48 hours. Patients with diabetes, immunosuppressed conditions such as AIDS, or
some cancers might not respond as quickly to antibiotic therapy.
In addition to information described for generic antibiotics, female patients
should be informed that penicillin can interfere with the effectiveness of birth
control pills that contain estrogen. It is recommended that females use alterna-
tive forms of birth control while being treated with penicillin.
CEPHALOSPORINS
The cephalosporin family of medications is a chemically modified version of
penicillin that stops growth and kills a broad spectrum of bacteria by making
it impossible for bacteria to create a cell wall. There are four generations
of cephalosporins.
CHAPTER 13 Antimicrobials—Fighting Infection^215