Final answer:
Nitrofurantoin is not a sulfa-type drug. Sulfa drugs contain the sulfonamide group and inhibit folic acid synthesis in bacteria, which Nitrofurantoin does not do. It is an antibiotic used for urinary tract infections.
Step-by-step explanation:
All of the following are sulfa-type drugs except:
Of the options provided, Nitrofurantoin is the drug that is not a sulfa-type drug. Sulfa drugs, or sulfonamides, are synthetic antibiotics that contain the sulfonamide group and interfere with folic acid synthesis in bacteria. They are structural analogs of para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) and inhibit the enzyme involved in the production of dihydrofolic acid, which is necessary for bacterial growth. Sulfa drugs are known for their bacteriostatic effect, where they inhibit bacterial growth.
Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, also known as Bactrim, is a combination of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole and synergistically blocks two consecutive steps in the bacterial folic acid synthesis pathway, making it a sulfa-type drug. Celecoxib (Celebrex) is a sulfonamide non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), which while chemically related to sulfa drugs, is typically not categorized as an antibacterial sulfonamide. Furosemide is a loop diuretic and, although it has a sulfonamide group, it is not primarily used for its antibacterial properties but rather for fluid reduction.
Therefore, the correct answer is a. Nitrofurantoin, which is an antibiotic commonly used for the treatment of urinary tract infections but does not belong to the sulfonamide group of synthetic antibiotics.