Medical Uses, Adverse Effects and Manufacture of Benzyl Penicillin

The antibiotic benzylpenicillin, often known as penicillin G (PenG) or BENPEN, is used to treat a number of bacterial illnesses. These include pneumonia, strep throat, syphilis, necrotizing enterocolitis, diphtheria, gas gangrene, leptospirosis, cellulitis, and tetanus. It is not a first-line treatment for pneumococcal meningitis. Because benzylpenicillin has a low bioavailability for oral medications, it is usually injected as a sodium, potassium, benzathine, or procaine salt.