β-lactamases are enzymes produced by bacteria that hydrolyze the β-lactam ring of β-lactam antibiotics, rendering them ineffective. They are a major mechanism of bacterial resistance to these drugs.
Antimicrobial Resistance: The ability of microbes to resist the effects of drugs that once killed them.
Carbapenemase: A type of enzyme produced by certain bacteria that breaks down carbapenems and leads to antibiotic resistance.
Clavulanic Acid: A compound used alongside β-lactam antibiotics to inhibit the action of β-lactamases.