There is no convincing evidence to suggest that the second- and third-generation cephalosporins are more efficacious than the first-generation cephalosporins in this indication.
Oral amoxicillin or cephalosporins are often administered first in treating milder cases of pneumococcal pneumonia in children younger than age five, though they are not used in newborns.
These include penicillin, ampicillin, and amoxicillin; sulfisoxazole or sulfamethoxazole; trimethoprim; nitrofurantoin; cephalosporins; or fluoroquinolones.
People who have been allergic to cephalosporins are likely to be allergic to penicillins.
Cephalosporins and the closely related cephamycins and carbapenems, like the penicillins, contain a beta-lactam chemical structure.