Generic Name: Cefdinir
Brand Names: Omnicef

Omnicef (Cefdinir) is a cephalosporin antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections such as strep throat, E. coli, staph infections, streptococcus infections, middle ear infections, tonsillitis, bronchitis, and pneumonia. Cefdinir is a semi-synthetic (partially man-made) oral antibiotic in the cephalosporin family of antibiotics. Like other cephalosporins, cefdinir stops bacteria from multiplying by preventing bacteria from forming the walls that surround them. The walls are necessary to protect bacteria from their environment and to keep the contents of the bacterial cell together. Bacteria cannot survive without a cell wall. Cefdinir is active against a very wide spectrum of bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Streptococcus pyogenes (the cause of strep throat); Hemophilus influenzae; Moraxella catarrhalis; E. coli; Klebsiella; and Proteus mirabilis. It is not active against Pseudomonas. Therapeutic uses of cefdinir include otitis media (infections of the middle ear), infections of soft tissues, and respiratory tract infections.