Cefotaxime for children: instructions for use

Cefotaxime is a popular antibacterial drug because it has a fairly wide range of effects on various infectious agents. It belongs to cephalosporin antibiotics and represents the third generation of such drugs. Due to the rapid destruction in the digestive tract, it is released only in injectable form. The drug is in demand in the treatment of adults with otitis, sinusitis, urethritis and other diseases, as well as widely used in pediatrics.

Cefotaxime is manufactured by many pharmaceutical companies from Russia, India, Belarus and China. Sometimes the name of the medicine contains an abbreviation or an additional word that indicates the manufacturer, for example, Cefotaxim-Vial is a product of the Russian company Vial, Cefotaxime-LEXMV is Protek-SVM, and Cefotaxime-Promed is issued Indian company Promed Exports. However, all these drugs are similar, as they include the same ingredient and are represented by the same dosage form.

The drug is an odorless powder, placed in rubber stoppers sealed with transparent glass vials. It is usually white, but there may be a slight yellowish tint. Bottles with powder can be sold individually or in packs of 5 and 10 bottles. Some manufacturers additionally placed in a box of solvent - ampoules of 5 ml of a clear solution.

The main and only ingredient of the drug is also called cefotaxime. It is in powder in the form of sodium salt. The dosage of such a substance in one vial in terms of anhydrous cefotaxime is 500 mg or 1 g (some manufacturers also have 250 mg vials). There are no other components in the preparation.

The drug is able to destroy many types of harmful bacteria, because under the action of cefotaxime violated the processes of synthesis of the walls in the cells of microbes, as a result of which the pathogen dies. Injections are effective against different types of staphylococcus, Escherichia, enterobacter, streptococcus, moraxell, Klebsiell, Neisseria and many other microorganisms. However, some clostridia, listeria, bacteroids, enterococci and pseudomonads are resistant to them. Cefotaxime does not work on viruses, fungi and protozoa.

The reason to appoint a child "Cefotaxime" is:

• pneumonia, bronchitis, or another bacterial infection in the airways;
• acute otitis media;
• sinusitis or other sinusitis;
• urinary tract infection;
• bacteria affecting soft tissues and skin (including burns and wounds);
• meningitis;
• peritonitis;
• osteomyelitis;
• endocarditis;
• other infectious diseases.

The drug can be prescribed and prophylactically if the patient has to undergo surgery, for example, on the intestines or kidneys.Sometimes, ENT doctors prescribe such an antibiotic in the nose (for purulent adenoiditis, sinusitis or rhinitis), but most experts consider this use of the drug to be unjustified, since there are more effective and safe local remedies.

Cefotaxime can be given to children from birth, but intramuscular injections of such an antibiotic using Lidocaine as a solvent are contraindicated for up to 2.5 years. As for intravenous injections, they are allowed at any age, but are prescribed to newborns with extreme caution.

The drug can not be used in children with intolerance to cefotaxime or any other cephalosporin antibiotic. In case of an allergic reaction to penicillins or carbapenems, this medication is used under the supervision of a physician, since a cross reaction is possible. Precautions in the treatment of "Cefotaxime" also require children with ulcerative colitis or serious kidney disease.

Some young patients respond to injections with an allergic reaction. This may be urticaria, itchy skin, bronchospasm, elevated blood eosinophils, fever, or other manifestations of allergies. When treating "Cefotaxime" there are also negative symptoms of the gastrointestinal tract, for example, constipation, abdominal pain, nausea, flatulence or diarrhea. In addition, the drug can provoke colitis, jaundice, dysbiosis or candidiasis.

Occasionally, after the introduction of the medication, headaches, kidney problems, decrease in the number of blood cells, arrhythmias and other problems appear.

The drug can be administered both intravenously and intramuscularly. Before use, the powder is diluted with sterile water (for intravenous injections), glucose solution or sodium chloride (for droppers into a vein), Lidocaine or Novocain (for intramuscular injections). For jet injections into the vein take 4 ml of water per 1 g of powder, for drip infusions - 40-100 ml of liquid per 1-2 g of drug, and for injection into muscle tissue dilute 4 ml of anesthetic per 1 g of cefotaxime.

The choice of dose, route of administration and frequency of injections is affected by the severity of the infectious disease and the condition of the sick child. A newborn medicine is prescribed at 50 mg / kg per day - this amount of antibiotic is divided into 2-4 injections. If the course of infection is severe, the daily dosage may increase to 150-200 mg per 1 kg.

Children older than 1 month before the age of 12 (if their weight is less than 50 kg) "Cefotaxime" is prescribed at the rate of 100-150 mg / kg. This daily dose is divided into two to four injections. Patients older than 12 years old and weighing more than 50 kg, depending on the disease, are prescribed two to three shots per day, 1-2 grams of cefotaxime. The drug is administered every 8-12 hours and, if necessary, its dosage is increased. The duration of treatment is determined individually, but usually is 7-10 days.

Excess dosage of Cefotaxime can cause convulsions, brain damage, neuromuscular excitability or tremor.

If you combine injections "Cefotaxime" with the treatment of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or antiplatelet agents, it will increase the risk of bleeding. With the appointment with some diuretics and any aminoglycosides increases the negative impact on the kidneys. When used with drugs that block canalicular secretion, the concentration of cefotaxime in the plasma will increase, and its excretion will slow down, which can lead to an increase in adverse reactions.

"Cefotaxime" refers to drugs that are released by prescription, so before you buy this medicine you need to be examined by a doctor. The price of the drug affects the manufacturer, the dosage of the antibiotic and the number of vials in the box. On average, one bottle costs 20-30 rubles.

It is necessary to store sealed flasks at home at a temperature of up to 25 degrees Celsius, putting the medicine in a place hidden from small children. The shelf life of the powder is 2 years.

Most reviews of Cefotaxime confirm the high efficacy of such an antibiotic. According to parents, the drug quickly helped with bronchitis, pyelonephritis, pneumonia, sore throat, sinusitis and other diseases. The advantages of the drug also include its availability in pharmacies and an acceptable cost. The drug is often well tolerated, but sometimes there are complaints of a negative effect on the digestive tract, allergies or other side effects.

In addition, the minus of drugs is the absence of other dosage forms and severe painful pricks. There are also reviews in which they note the lack of a therapeutic effect if the pathogen was insensitive.

If it becomes necessary to replace "Cefotaxime" with an analogue that includes the same active compound, the doctor will prescribe "Claforan", "Cefosin", "Litoran", "Cefantral", "Cetax" or another medicine based on cefotaxime sodium. All of them are also represented by vials of powder containing 250, 500 or 1000 mg of antibiotic in one bottle. They are written out at the same indications and in the same dosages.

Instead of “Cefotaxime” other cephalosporins can be used, which also represent the 3rd generation of such antibiotics, for example, “Ixim Lupine», «Suprax», «Pancef», «Cedex" or "Ceftriaxone". Among them are both drugs in injectable form and tablets, and more convenient for use in childhood medication in the form of granules, which must be diluted to obtain a suspension.

For information on how to properly inject an intramuscular injection to a child, see the following video.