Cefuroxime, a second-generation cephalosporin, works by inhibiting the synthesis of the bacterial cell wall. It does this by binding to and inactivating enzymes called penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs), which are crucial for the cross-linking of the peptidoglycan layer that forms the bacterial cell wall. When these PBPs are inhibited, the bacterial cell wall is weakened, leading to cell lysis (bursting) and death. Sulbactam, a beta-lactamase inhibitor, works by inhibiting beta-lactamase enzymes, which are produced by some bacteria to break down beta-lactam antibiotics like cefuroxime. By irreversibly binding to these enzymes, sulbactam prevents them from inactivating cefuroxime, thereby enhancing the antibiotic's effectiveness against beta-lactamase-producing bacteria.