In case of complicated infectious diseases, antibiotics are indicated. The pharmaceutical market offers a huge range of antibacterial drugs. The drug Cefotaxime is used in the treatment of both adults and children. From the article you will learn for what pathologies it is prescribed, in what dosage forms it is produced, and when it is prohibited for use.
Description of the drug
The antibiotic Cefotaxime is a representative of the third generation cephalosporin series. It has proven activity against gram-positive as well as gram-negative microorganisms that exhibit resistance to other antibiotics. It is characterized by rapid penetration into myocardial tissue, epidermis, bones, as well as the main body fluids (pleural, spinal).
Available only in crystal form for the production of a liquid substance intended for injection into a vein or gluteal muscle. The active substance is cefotaxime.
Pure white or slightly yellowish powder is packaged in 1 gram quantities in 10 ml bottles made of polymer or glass. Depending on the manufacturer, one pack may contain 1, 5 or 50 pieces, in addition there is an instruction. Cefotaxime is not available in tablet form.
Half an hour after the intramuscular injection, the maximum possible concentration is achieved. The bactericidal effect lasts 12 hours. The drug inhibits the proliferation of pathogenic microflora and completely eliminates the causative agent of the disease.
Ampoules are stored for 2 years from the date of release at a temperature of no more than 25°C. The prepared solutions are suitable for use within 24 hours when stored in the refrigerator, and at room temperature - only 12 hours. Combining one injection or dropper with other medications of similar effect is prohibited.
Composition and release form
The antibiotic Cefotaxime is an extended-spectrum antimicrobial drug intended for intramuscular administration.
The medicine is available in the form of a white or cream-colored lyophilisate. One bottle (gram of powder) contains cefotaxime sodium, which corresponds to anhydrous cefotaxime. A more detailed description of the substance is provided in the official instructions for use of the drug. The manufacturer produces the medicine in glass bottles with factory markings. Vials (not ampoules) are made of light transparent glass with a rubber stopper and an aluminum seal, which is tamper evident.
Several manufacturing plants produce finished products. Among them are:
- Kraspharma, Russia;
- "Biokhimik", Russia;
- Lecco, Russia;
- "Belmedpreparaty", Republic of Belarus;
- "Deco", Russia.
Indications for the use of Cefotaxime
Cefotaxime injections are prescribed for severe bacterial infections caused by sensitive microorganisms. The antibiotic has proven itself well in:
- Infectious diseases of the ENT organs - tonsillitis, otitis, sinusitis.
- Bacterial inflammation of the endocardium.
- Complications after surgical procedures and their prevention.
- Septicemia.
- Borreliosis.
- Pathologies of the respiratory system - acute bronchitis, pleurisy, pneumonia, abscesses.
- Chlamydia.
- Gonorrhea.
- Festering burns and wounds.
- Bacterial meningitis.
- Infections of the skeletal system, joints and soft tissues.
- Bacterial lesions of the urinary tract and kidneys.
Treatment is carried out both on an outpatient basis and in a hospital.
special instructions
Before you start using the drug, read the special instructions:
- When treating with the drug for more than 10 days, monitoring of the peripheral blood picture is necessary.
- During treatment with cefotaxime, it is possible to obtain a false-positive Coombs test and a false-positive urine test for glucose.
- Patients with a history of allergic reactions to penicillins may have increased sensitivity to cephalosporin antibiotics.
- In the first weeks of treatment, pseudomembranous colitis may occur, manifested by severe, prolonged diarrhea. In this case, stop taking the drug and prescribe adequate therapy, including vancomycin or metronidazole.
- During treatment, you should not drink alcohol, since effects similar to those of disulfiram are possible (facial hyperemia, spasms in the abdomen and stomach, nausea, vomiting, headache, decreased blood pressure, tachycardia, shortness of breath).
Instructions for use
The treatment regimen with Cefotaxime injections is selected taking into account the patient’s age, body weight and form of administration.
Intramuscularly: adults are prescribed 1 to 2 g of the substance, which is mixed with Lidocaine 1%. If injections are prescribed into a vein, then the same amount of antibiotic is combined with sterile water and diluted with a solvent to 10 ml. The medicine is administered for a long time - 3-4 minutes at intervals from 4 to 12 hours.
If the doctor has prescribed a course of systems, then the solution is prepared as follows: combine 2 g of Cefotaxime and 100 ml of sodium chloride. They dig for about an hour.
Instructions for use of Cefotaxime contain information on the maximum permissible dose per day - 12 g for adults, for pediatric patients weighing up to 50 kg - 180 mg per 1 kg.
For children under 2.5 years old, antibiotics are administered intravenously only. Children under 12 years of age are administered 50-100 mg per 1 kg of weight per day. Treatment is carried out in several doses at intervals of 6 to 12 hours. The typical dosage regimen for children over 12 years of age is 1 g every 12 hours.
Children born prematurely are prescribed 50-100 mg per 1 kg of weight per day, divided into three doses.
The duration of therapy is determined by the doctor, based on the severity of the disease, tolerability of treatment and existing pathologies. Minimum – 5 days. If there are problems with the kidneys, the dose is reduced.
The anesthetic used as a solvent is Lidocaine or Novocaine, since the injection is painful.
Compatibility of alcohol and Cefotaxime
As mentioned above, it is undesirable to combine any antibiotic with alcohol, since the high content of toxic elements increases the load on the liver. The kidneys are also affected, but less so than the liver. Cefotaxime is no exception. Doctors do not recommend mixing it with alcoholic drinks and advise you to wait until the course of treatment is over.
Sometimes drinking and drinking together can be planned. Many people think that enhancing the effect of the drug with ethanol will help to cope with the disease faster, but this is a misconception.
If you still violate the recommendation, do not panic and be afraid that something irreparable will happen to your body. Most likely, the body will cope with the load, but it is better not to create such problems for it. If you allow such a combination for the first time, then you definitely don’t have to worry. The main thing is not to drink thoughtlessly.
If you cannot avoid drinking alcohol, then carefully monitor your condition. If your health begins to deteriorate, leave the feast and better rest. Symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, even stomach pain can be a consequence of drinking alcohol as such. But if over time they do not go away or, on the contrary, they intensify, then you should consult a doctor to avoid intoxication, which will cause irreparable harm to your health.
The compatibility of alcohol and Cefotaxime is questionable. Therefore, you should not abuse this combination. It is better, as mentioned earlier, to wait until the end of treatment or at least a few hours after taking the last dose of the medication. It's good if you wait a day. After drinking alcohol, it is better to increase the amount of water consumed, which will help eliminate toxins from the body and improve overall well-being. And, of course, you should not drink high-proof alcoholic beverages in large quantities.
The effect of the combination of alcohol and Cefotaxime on the body is determined by many factors. For example, for a small, fragile woman it will be much more noticeable than for a man with large muscle mass. Previously suffered diseases and disorders in the functioning of certain vital systems also play an important role.
Cefotaxime may not even be prescribed if you, for example, have a weak liver. People with diseases such as gastritis or ulcers should not drink during treatment.
This combination is strictly prohibited for pregnant and lactating women. Young mothers will be able to drink only after the end of the lactation period. The active substance of the drug, enhanced by the action of toxic ethanol, can negatively affect both the child in the mother’s womb and the newborn baby who receives a dose of the drug with milk. During this period, the treatment of infectious diseases is controlled only by a doctor; do not self-medicate.
Contraindications and side effects
There is a certain list of contraindications for prescribing Cefotaxime injections, these are:
- Pregnancy.
- Bleeding.
- Individual intolerance to components.
- Enterocolitis.
It is prescribed with caution and additional examination to patients with pathologies of the kidneys, liver and in childhood. In exceptional cases, the drug is prescribed in the second and third trimesters and during breastfeeding.
The instructions for Cefotaxime injections contain a list of unwanted reactions that are likely to occur:
- Manifestations of allergies, including angioedema or itching of the skin.
- Thrush.
- Severe pain when injected into the muscle.
- Attacks of nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, pseudomembranous colitis, cholestatic jaundice, hepatitis.
- Inflammation of the venous walls during infusion into a vein.
- Hemolytic anemia, decreased platelet count, neutropenia.
Cefotaxime and alcohol
Cefotaxime is a common third-generation broad-spectrum antibiotic. This means that it is designed not for one specific disease, but for diseases caused by a number of pathogens. The drug is sold in powder form for injection. It is available without a prescription, but it is still better to choose the dosage after consulting with your doctor. If you decide to treat yourself, be sure to read the instructions.
Like any antibiotic, Cefotaxime should not be mixed with alcohol due to the heavy load on the liver. Therefore, during the treatment period, if possible, you should give up alcoholic beverages. Consequences in the form of mild weakness, drowsiness, dizziness can be associated directly with treatment with a strong antibiotic. However, when Cefotaxime and alcohol are combined, other negative consequences may also develop, but more on that a little later.
How to use
According to the instructions for use, Ceftriaxone injections are given to dogs intramuscularly. You can also administer the medication intravenously, but it is difficult to administer IVs to your pet at home. In addition, this requires the professional skills of a doctor. But it is not recommended to administer the medicine subcutaneously, since painful bumps may appear at the injection site.
Injections are given once a day. In rare cases, injections are given 2 times a day if the disease is severe. The course can last from 5 to 10 days, but the duration of treatment must be determined by the doctor. The antibiotic can be combined with drugs for symptomatic therapy.
Note! After the symptoms of the disease have disappeared, injections are given for another 3 days. Only in this case will it be possible to completely destroy pathogenic microorganisms
Otherwise, bacteria will develop resistance to the drug, and the disease will become chronic.
It is advisable to give injections in the back thigh, where the largest accumulation of muscles is. It is recommended to alternately inject the antibiotic into different paws, since the injections are very painful and the injection site may hurt for a long time. If the drug is used for large pets, you should not use an insulin syringe. Firstly, with a sudden movement, the pet can break the thin needle. Secondly, it will take a long time to administer the medicinal solution, which will cause additional suffering to the animal.
Composition and effect of the medicine
Each bottle of the drug contains the active ingredient cefotaxime. The release form of the drug is a white or light cream powder, packaged in hermetically sealed containers. The manufacturer produces bottles containing 1000, 2000 and 500 mg of the substance.
This drug works only when administered intramuscularly or intravenously. To do this, the powder is diluted with Lidocaine, Novocaine and water for injection.
Which group of medications does it belong to?
This drug belongs to antibacterial agents against pathogens of infectious diseases. It is part of the third generation group of cephalosporin antibiotics.
In addition to Cefotaxime, antibiotics in this group include:
- Tizim;
- Fortum;
- Cefix;
- Suprax;
- Pantsef;
- Cefotodx;
- Spectracef;
- Tsedex.
These analogues are also used to combat infectious diseases, but they contain other active substances. Medicines in this series are characterized by a combination of a wide range of applications with good tolerability and minimal impact on the intestinal microflora.
A synonym for Cefotaxime is the drug Claforan, which not only belongs to the same group of antibiotics, but also contains the active substance cefotaxime.
To purchase the drug at a pharmacy, you need a doctor's prescription.
Side effects
These antibiotics have side effects. When using Cefotaxime, the following unpleasant symptoms are possible:
- Allergies accompanied by hives and fever.
- Oliguria.
- Dizziness and headaches.
As a result of using the drug, disorders of the digestive system - diarrhea, nausea - may occur. Another side effect is nosebleeds.
Side effects also occur when using Lidocaine. As a result of its use, the following manifestations are possible:
- feeling of dry mouth;
- chronic fatigue;
- dyspnea;
- decreased metabolism.
The listed adverse reactions are often accompanied by a feeling of heaviness in the stomach and nausea. Anaphylactic shock may occur.
Olga, 27 years old, Moscow: “To treat a sore throat, the doctor prescribed Cefotaxime and Lidocaine. I began to feel better already on the third day after using them.”
Natasha, 30 years old, Astrakhan: “When my husband had sinusitis, the doctor recommended injections of Lidocaine and Cefotaxime. These medications give a quick effect if you take into account the doctor’s recommendations.”
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Ekaterina, 22 years old, Nizhny Novgorod: “The combination of Cefotaxime and Lidocaine is effective in the treatment of tonsillitis. I felt better on the second day, but the course was completed completely.”
Pharmacological properties
Ceftriaxone is effective against many harmful bacteria, including those microorganisms that are resistant to other antibacterial agents. The drug destroys the following types of pathogens:
- staphylococci;
- E. coli;
- streptococci;
- salmonella;
- clostridia;
- hemophilus influenzae;
- enterobacteria;
- shigella;
- Klebsiella etc.
The principle of its action is quite simple - the active substance destroys the cell walls of bacteria. This not only prevents their further reproduction, but also leads to death. The antibiotic is distinguished by its rapid action. When administered intramuscularly, the concentration of the active substance in the blood reaches its maximum value in just 1.5 hours. In this case, the medicine completely works for the benefit of the body, since its bioavailability is 100%.
The antibiotic is excreted from the animal’s body mostly through the kidneys along with urine and only partially through the intestines with bile.
Content
1. General characteristics 2. Composition and therapeutic effect 3. Purpose 4. Dosage 5. Limitations 6. Analogs 7. Video on how to dilute the medicine 8. Reviews
In veterinary medicine, the same drugs are often used to combat dangerous infectious diseases as for humans. Ceftriaxone for dogs is a real salvation when it comes to diseases that can literally lead to the death of a pet within a day. This powerful antibiotic helps put the animal back on its feet where other medications are powerless. But you cannot self-medicate - a veterinarian’s appointment is required.
Adverse symptoms
Adverse reactions can occur if the medication is used incorrectly, with an overdose, or if Cefotaxime is administered if the patient is allergic. The main types of adverse reactions that can be caused by Cefotaxime are:
The development of allergic reactions cannot be ruled out, which can cause symptoms such as itching, bronchospasms and skin rashes in the form of urticaria. After administration of the medication, anaphylactic shock and angioedema may occur. Doctors also note that after the injection, pain may develop at the injection site. After the injections, changes in laboratory blood parameters are also observed.
In case of overdose, the following side symptoms are observed:
- Tremor.
- Cramping sensations.
- Fever.
- Hearing loss.
- Loss of coordination.
Action of Lidocaine
Lidocaine is available in the form of ampoules. They contain a clear solution that has no characteristic odor. The volume of one ampoule is 2 ml. The package contains 5 ampoules. Instructions for use are included with each package.
The active ingredient of the drug is lidocaine monohydrate. Its effect is complemented by caustic soda and sodium chloride. The excipient is water.
The medication can be administered either intramuscularly or via a dropper. The latter option allows you to quickly get the effect of the active substance (in 20 minutes).
Due to the fact that the neuron membrane is restored, a local anesthetic effect is manifested. In this case, the process of excitation occurrence slows down, because the ability of the membrane to release sodium ions, which compete with calcium ions, decreases.
Lidocaine promotes vasodilation and also eliminates pain. This drug is best absorbed when administered intramuscularly. The active substance accumulates in liver cells and is excreted from the body after 10 hours.
