Erythromycin ethylsuccinate is a erythromycin derivative that is erythromycin A in which the hydroxy group at position 3R is substituted by a (4-ethoxy-4-oxobutanoyl)oxy group. It is used for the treatment of a wide variety of bacterial infections. It is a succinate ester, a cyclic ketone, an erythromycin derivative and an ethyl ester. It is functionally related to an erythromycin A. ChEBI Erythromycin Ethylsuccinate is the ethylsuccinate salt form of erythromycin, a broad-spectrum, topical macrolide antibiotic with antibacterial activity. Erythromycin ethylsuccinate diffuses through the bacterial cell membrane and reversibly binds to the 50S subunit of the bacterial ribosome. This prevents bacterial protein synthesis. Erythromycin ethylsuccinate may be bacteriostatic or bactericidal in action, depending on the concentration of the drug at the site of infection and the susceptibility of the organism involved. NCI Thesaurus (NCIt) A macrolide antibiotic, produced by Streptomyces erythreus. This compound is an ester of erythromycin base and succinic acid. It acts primarily as a bacteriostatic agent. In sensitive organisms, it inhibits protein synthesis by binding to 50S ribosomal subunits. This binding process inhibits peptidyl transferase activity and interferes with translocation of amino acids during translation and assembly of proteins. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)