Cefoxitin is a cephamycin

Cephamycin

Cephamycins are a group of beta-lactam antibiotics. They are very similar to cephalosporins, and the cephamycins are sometimes classified as cephalosporins.Like cephalosporins, cephamycins are based upon the cephem nucleus...

 antibiotic

Antibiotic

An antibacterial is a compound or substance that kills or slows down the growth of bacteria.The term is often used synonymously with the term antibiotic; today, however, with increased knowledge of the causative agents of various infectious diseases, antibiotic has come to denote a broader range of...

 developed by Merck & Co., Inc.

Merck & Co.

Merck & Co., Inc. , also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme or MSD outside the United States and Canada, is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. The Merck headquarters is located in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, an unincorporated area in Readington Township...

, often grouped with the second−generation cephalosporin

Cephalosporin

The cephalosporins are a class of β-lactam antibiotics originally derived from Acremonium, which was previously known as "Cephalosporium".Together with cephamycins they constitute a subgroup of β-lactam antibiotics called cephems.-Medical use:...

s. It is sold under the brand name Mefoxin.

Microbiology

Cefoxitin acts by interfering with cell wall synthesis. Its activity spectrum includes a broad range of gram-negative

Gram-negative

Gram-negative bacteria are bacteria that do not retain crystal violet dye in the Gram staining protocol. In a Gram stain test, a counterstain is added after the crystal violet, coloring all Gram-negative bacteria with a red or pink color...

 and gram-positive

Gram-positive

Gram-positive bacteria are those that are stained dark blue or violet by Gram staining. This is in contrast to Gram-negative bacteria, which cannot retain the crystal violet stain, instead taking up the counterstain and appearing red or pink...

 bacteria

Bacteria

Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...

 including anaerobes. It is inactive in vitro to most strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common bacterium that can cause disease in animals, including humans. It is found in soil, water, skin flora, and most man-made environments throughout the world. It thrives not only in normal atmospheres, but also in hypoxic atmospheres, and has, thus, colonized many...

 and enterococci and many strains of Enterobacter cloacae

Enterobacter cloacae

Enterobacter cloacae is a clinically significant Gram-negative, facultatively-anaerobic, rod-shaped bacterium.-Microbiology:*BioHazard Level: 1 *Growth Temperature: 30°CAppropriate growth media:nutrient agar, nutrient broth...

. Staphylococci resistant to methicillin

Methicillin

Meticillin or methicillin is a narrow-spectrum beta-lactam antibiotic of the penicillin class. It should not be confused with the antibiotic metacycline.-History:Methicillin was developed by Beecham in 1959...

/oxacillin

Oxacillin

Oxacillin sodium is a narrow spectrum beta-lactam antibiotic of the penicillin class.It was developed by Beecham.-Uses:...

 should be considered resistant to cefoxitin.

Cefoxitin is considered a strong beta-lactamase inducer, as are certain other antibiotics (such as imipenem

Imipenem

Imipenem is an intravenous β-lactam antibiotic developed in 1980. It has an extremely broad spectrum of activity.Imipenem belongs to the subgroup of carbapenems. It is derived from a compound called thienamycin, which is produced by the bacterium Streptomyces cattleya...

).