Hetacillin can be administered orally. The potassium salt, hetacillin potassium, is administered by injection, either intravenously[3] or intramuscularly.[4] It is sold under the trade name Hetacin for intramammary injection in veterinary use.[5]
Hetacillin was withdrawn from the market for human use when the discovery was made that it had no advantages over ampicillin.[6]
Chemistry
Hetacillin is prepared from ampicillin and acetone. In aqueous solutions it is unstable, with a half life of 15 to 30 minutes at 37 °C (99 °F) and pH 7, quickly releasing acetone again.[7]
^Tsuji Y, Tomita M (August 1970). "[Clinical effect of intravenous injection of potassium hetacillin (Versapen 'Bristol') on pre- and post-operative infections] (in Japanese)". The Japanese Journal of Antibiotics. 23 (4): 400–2. PMID5312791.
^Hara M, Takemoto S, Kawazu T (December 1970). "[Therapeutic experience with intramuscular injection of hetacillin (Versapen 'Bristol') in infection in children] (in Japanese)". The Japanese Journal of Antibiotics. 23 (5): 482–6. PMID5314634.
^Smith JT, Hamilton-Miller J (1970). "Hetacillin: A Chemical and Biological Comparison with Ampicillin". Chemotherapy. 15 (6): 366–78. doi:10.1159/000220703. PMID5514976.