Rifampin

Excerpt

Rifampin, also known as rifampicin, belongs to the antimicrobial class of drugs. This medication is used to manage and treat diverse mycobacterial infections and gram-positive bacterial infections. Rifampin exhibits antibacterial activity against a wide range of gram-positive cocci, including Mycobacteria and Clostridium difficile, and specific gram-negative organisms, including Neisseria meningitidis, N gonorrhoeae, and Hemophilus influenza. Rifampin exerts bactericidal antimicrobial effects by inhibiting DNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RNAP). This inhibition occurs either by sterically obstructing the path of the elongating RNA at its 5′ end or by reducing the RNAP's affinity for short RNA transcripts. Rifampin uniquely targets microbial RNAP, effectively arresting ongoing RNA synthesis. This activity describes the indications, mechanism of action, and contraindications of rifampin as a valuable drug for treating tuberculosis, leprosy, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. This activity also highlights the adverse event profile, off-label applications, dosage, pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, monitoring, and pertinent interactions of rifampin, which are essential for healthcare team members caring for patients with infectious diseases.