Ceftriaxone
What is ceftriaxone used for? Ceftriaxone is a drug that you can use to treat bacterial infections in various parts of the body. What class of drugs does ceftriaxone belong to? This drug belongs to a class of drugs that many people know as cephalosporin antibiotics. It works by killing bacteria or preventing their growth. Ceftriaxone is available in injection form and can only be obtained with a doctor’s prescription.
Class: Prescription drug.
Category: Cephalosporin antibiotics.
Benefits: Treats bacterial problems.
Used by: Adults and children.
Ceftriaxone for pregnant and lactating mothers: Can be absorbed into breast milk. If a nursing mother wants to take this medicine, she should ask her doctor first. This medicine is in Category B, there have been no studies on its effects on the fetus.
Drug form: Injection.
Drug brands: Racef, Renxon, Triasco, Trijec, Tricefin, Trixon, Tyason, Zeftrix, Ceftrimet, Cetriax, Erphacef, Foricef, Futaxon, Gracef, Intrix, Betrix, Broadced, Ceftriaxone Sodium, and Cefaxon.
Benefits of Ceftriaxone
Ceftriaxone injection is useful for treating infections caused by bacteria, such as:
- Gonorrhea: a sexually transmitted infection.
- Pelvic inflammatory disease: an infection of the female reproductive organs that can cause infertility.
- Meningitis, an infection of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
- Bacterial infections in various other parts of the body, such as the lungs, ears, skin, urinary tract, blood, bones, joints, and stomach.
In addition, this type of antibiotic is also sometimes given by doctors before certain types of surgery to prevent infections that may develop after surgery. However, you need to note, that ceftriaxone cannot be used to treat colds, flu, or other viral infections.
Precautions Before Using Ceftriaxone
Before using ceftriaxone, here are some things you need to pay attention to:
- Tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to ceftriaxone, carbapenem antibiotics, and other cephalosporin antibiotics, such as cefaclor, cefadroxil, cefazolin, cefdinir, cefditoren, and others. You also need to tell your doctor if you are allergic to any of the ingredients contained in ceftriaxone.
- Tell your doctor and pharmacist about all prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take.
- Also, tell your doctor if you have ever had any allergies, problems with your digestive system, especially colitis (inflammation of the large intestine), malnutrition (you don’t eat or can’t digest the nutrients needed for good health), problems with vitamin K levels, or kidney or liver disease.
- Inform your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding.
- Do not use this medication after receiving a cholera vaccine. If the two are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose.
- You need to inform your doctor about your previous medical history. Especially if you have ever had gallbladder disease, kidney disease, liver disease, or stomach/intestinal disease (such as colitis).
- Newborns should not receive calcium-containing injections (including IV solutions such as Ringer’s solution, Hartmann’s solution, or parenteral nutrition-TPN/PPN), intravenously after receiving ceftriaxone.
Ceftriaxone Dosage
Ceftriaxone can be given by injection into a muscle (intramuscular) or vein (intravenous) by a doctor or medical staff under the supervision of a doctor. The dosage can vary depending on the condition you want to treat.
Here are the doses of ceftriaxone:
To treat bacterial infections:
- Adults: 1000-2000 milligrams (mg) per day. In cases of severe infection, the dose can be increased to 4000 mg, 1-2 times a day.
- Children aged 15 days to 12 years: 50-80 mg/kgBW per day. Maximum dose 4000 mg per day.
- Children under 15 days of age: 20-50 mg/kgBW, once a day which you can give through an infusion for 60 minutes.
To treat gonorrhea without complications
- Adults: 250-500 mg as a single dose by injection into the muscle.
To treat meningitis
- Adults: 2000 mg every 12 hours by infusion for 7-14 days.
- Children: 100 mg/kgBW per day, 1-2 doses, by injection into the muscle or vein for 7-14 days.
To prevent surgical wound infection
- Adults: 1000-2000 mg can be given via IV injection 1/2-2 hours before surgery.
- Children aged 15 days to 12 years weighing <50 kg: 50-80 mg/kgBW via IV over 30 minutes.
- Children under 15 days of age: 20-50 mg/kgBW via infusion over 60 minutes.
To treat Lyme disease
- Adults: 2 grams by IV injection per day for 14 – 21 days.
In addition, to find out which type of antibiotic is more effective, try reading Antibiotics by Injection Are More Effective than Oral, Is That True.
How to Use Ceftriaxone
Ceftriaxone injection should only be given by a doctor or medical staff under strict supervision. The doctor will determine how and when the drug is given to the sufferer according to the sufferer’s condition.
While using this antibiotic, sufferers need to drink lots of water to maintain kidney health.
Possible Side Effects
Side effects of ceftriaxone that can occur after use include:
- Swelling, redness, and pain at the injection site.
- Fever.
- Chills.
- Diarrhea.
- Cough.
- Hard to breathe.
- Chest pain.
- Sore throat.
- Sores or ulcers on the lips or in the mouth.
- Unusual bleeding or bruising.
- Unusual tiredness or weakness.
More serious side effects may also occur. Tell your doctor right away if you experience any of the following side effects:
- Rash.
- Bloody or watery stools, accompanied by abdominal cramps or fever.
- Stomach ache.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Chest pain.
- Signs of kidney problems, such as decreased urination, pink or bloody urine, painful or frequent urination.
- Return of fever, sore throat, chills or other signs of infection.
- Difficulty swallowing or breathing.
- Swelling of the throat or tongue.
- Seizures.
Ceftriaxone Interactions
Certain medications can interact with ceftriaxone. This means they can change the way ceftriaxone works or increase your risk for serious side effects.
Drugs that can cause interactions with ceftriaxone include:
- Intravenous fluids containing calcium. Ceftriaxone can increase the risk of crystal deposits in the lungs and kidneys which can be fatal if used together with fluids containing calcium.
- Warfarin. If you use it with warfarin, the risk of bruising or bleeding may be increased.
- Aminoglycoside antibiotics. Ceftriaxone should also not be used together with aminoglycoside antibiotics, because it can increase the risk of kidney damage.
Possible Contraindications
This drug is contraindicated in patients who are known to be allergic to the cephalosporin antibiotic group. People who have hypersensitivity and premature babies or under four weeks of age are also not recommended to use this antibiotic injection.