ICD-10 Specific code A30.0: Indeterminate leprosy

Chlorhexidine is an antimicrobial agent, active against a broad spectrum of Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms, yeasts, fungi, opportunistic anaerobes and aerobes. Chlorhexidine is mainly a “membrane-acting” agent that destroys the outer membrane of the bacteria. It is inactive on bacterial spores unless the temperatures are high.

Clofazimine is an antimycobacterial drug. Clofazimine exerts a slow bactericidal effect on Mycobacterium leprae (Hansen’s bacillus). Clofazimine inhibits mycobacterial growth and binds preferentially to mycobacterial DNA.

Ethionamide is bacteriostatic against M. tuberculosis at therapeutic concentrations, but may be bactericidal at higher concentrations. The exact mechanism of action of ethionamide has not been fully elucidated, but the drug appears to inhibit peptide synthesis in susceptible organisms. Drug resistance develops rapidly when ethionamide is given as monotherapy.

Minocycline is a semi-synthetic derivative of tetracycline. Minocycline inhibits protein synthesis in susceptible bacteria. In common with other tetracyclines it is primarily bacteriostatic and has a similar spectrum of activity to other tetracyclines.

Piperacillin is a broad-spectrum, semisynthetic penicillin. Piperacillin exerts bactericidal activity by inhibition of both septum and cell-wall synthesis.

Sultamicillin is the tosylate salt of the double ester of sulbactam plus ampicillin. Sulbactam is a semisynthetic beta-lactamase inhibitor which, in combination with ampicillin, extends the antibacterial activity of the latter to include some beta-lactamase-producing strains of bacteria that would otherwise be resistant.

Ticarcillin disrupts bacterial cell wall development by inhibiting peptidoglycan synthesis and/or by interacting with penicillin-binding proteins.