Ceftriaxone is one of the most common antibiotics prescribed for various diseases. It is especially effective in the treatment of inflammatory processes of the upper and lower respiratory tract. Assign it to both children and adults. You can find detailed instructions for use and reviews on Ceftriaxone in this article.
Composition and release form of "Ceftriaxone"
Ceftriaxone is often used by doctors. It has been on the market for a long time and has proved its effectiveness. The antibiotic belongs to the third generation cephalosporin group. The basis of such drugs is 7-ACA acid, which damages the cell walls of bacteria, destroying them. The first cephalosporin antibiotic was developed in 1964. Since then, they have been repeatedly improved and modified, as a result, all modern drugs have a semi-synthetic form.
Ceftriaxone is sold in the form of a crystalline powder, packaged in small capsules. One bottle may contain 250, 500 or 1000 mg of active substance. The drug is available only in powder form for the preparation of a solution for intramuscular injections. On sale you can not find the drug in tablets or in the form of syrup. This imposes certain restrictions on its use: after all, injections and droppers can only be done by medical personnel. Therefore, "Ceftriaxone" is most often used during treatment in a hospital.
Effects on the body and pharmacokinetics
Ceftriaxone acts most quickly if it is injected into a vein. Then immediately after the injection, the plasma concentration reaches a maximum, the patient's condition improves. With intramuscular injection, the maximum content of the active substance in the blood is reached after 2.5 hours. Most of Ceftriaxone is excreted by the kidneys, so when using the drug you need to carefully monitor the patient's diuresis. In any case, the patient needs to consume more fluid, and if necessary, take diuretics.
What do Ceftriaxone injections help from? This medicine acts on a wide range of bacteria and microorganisms:
- Gram-negative bacteria. These include intestinal and hemophilic bacilli, gonococci that cause gonorrhea, salmonella, moraxella (causing infections of the upper respiratory tract).
- Gram-positive bacteria are pneumococcus, streptococcus, various pathogens of infections of the upper and lower respiratory tract, as well as ENT organs.
- Airborne bacteria (clostridia, bacterioids).
Indications
What do Ceftriaxone injections help from? According to the instructions for use, this drug is prescribed in strictly defined cases:
- Respiratory tract infections: bronchitis, pneumonia, lung abscess.
- Abdominal infections such as peritonitis.
- Burns and wounds that have been infected.
- Bacterial meningitis and endocarditis.
- Syphilis.
- Borreliosis from a tick bite.
- Epiglottitis.
- Any inflammatory processes of soft and bone tissues, the urogenital tract and ENT organs.
- Prevention of infections after surgery.
Reviews of Ceftriaxone prove that the antibiotic is effective in a variety of situations. Compared to penicillin drugs, cephalosporins act better on various bacteria. In addition, many patients may experience penicillin allergies, in which case Ceftriaxone may provide a good alternative. For example, in the treatment of syphilis, the use of this medication gives good results even with an advanced course of the disease. Often, the drug is used for bacterial tonsillitis, bronchitis and inflammation of the ENT organs. As a rule, the effect of Ceftriaxone can be observed already on the second or third day after the start of treatment.
Instructions for use
Many patients are interested in the dosage regimen of Ceftriaxone. Some are interested in this to verify the prescribed treatment, others are trying to cure the disease on their own. The instructions for use say that the amount of the drug is prescribed in each case individually. But there are some general standards that doctors adhere to:
- For the prevention of postoperative complications, Ceftriaxone is administered intramuscularly, the dosage is 1-2 grams. As a rule, with a further uncomplicated course of the disease, a single injection is enough.
- With bacterial meningitis, a single dose of 100 mg / kg is prescribed, subsequent injections are calculated according to the type of pathogen. The daily dose cannot exceed 4 grams.
- With bronchitis, Ceftriaxone is prescribed in an amount of 200-7500 mg once or twice a day.
- For the treatment of gonorrhea, a single dose of 250 mg will be sufficient.
- In the instructions to "Ceftriaxone" it is said that with the most serious diseases the medicine can be combined with aminoglycosides. With their combined use, synergism takes place, the body copes better with bacteria.
- In other cases, adults are prescribed a dosage depending on the severity of the disease and the weight of the patient. The maximum daily dose should not exceed 1 or 2 g. In severe cases, it can be doubled.
The dosage of Ceftriaxone is different for children: newborns can be prescribed 20-50 mg / kg per day, and for children under 12 years old - 20-75 mg / kg. In no case should these doses be exceeded, since the child’s immature enzyme system may not be able to handle the load. Ceftriaxone injections are very painful, therefore it is recommended to do them once a day. How much to stab Ceftriaxone? The duration of treatment depends on the causative agent of the disease. So, pneumonia caused by streptococcus can be cured in 7-10 days. Enterobacteria need a longer course: from 7-14 days. Hemophilus influenzae is destroyed in 6 days. But to prevent relapse, an antibiotic is usually prescribed for a slightly longer period. When calculating the dosage of Ceftriaxone, the most important thing is not to exceed a certain amount of the drug. The maximum dosage of Ceftriaxone for children is 2 g, and for adults 4 g.
Feasible side effects
Since Ceftriaxone is a fairly "heavy" drug that has a strong effect on the body, it has side effects. As a rule, they are observed in less than 2% of cases, however, patients are required to know about them before starting treatment. The instructions of "Ceftriaxone" refers to the following side effects:
- The most common gastrointestinal tract disorders are diarrhea, vomiting and nausea.
- In 2%, changes in the leukocyte blood count are observed: the number of leukocytes or platelets increases.
- Often you can find allergic reactions (including skin), which were observed in 1% of the subjects.
- Headaches and dizziness.
- Anaphylactic shock (extremely rare).
- Increased liver enzymes.
Often patients complain of inflammation of the veins at the injection site. This is due to the fact that Ceftriaxone is administered extremely slowly: from one to three minutes to reduce the pain of the injection. In this regard, hemorrhages and damage to the walls of the veins can be observed. With an intramuscular injection, if all instructions are not followed, softening may form in the soft tissues due to the concentration of the drug under the skin. Despite a large list of side effects, serious adverse reactions are quite rare. If you still find yourself in one of the above effects, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Ceftriaxone during pregnancy
Pregnant women are prescribed antibiotics only if absolutely necessary. The use of Ceftriaxone injections is dangerous with numerous risks to the fetus. The fact is that adequate controlled studies on the use of this substance during the bearing of a child have not been conducted, therefore, no possible side effects are known. Ceftriaxone is used very rarely during pregnancy, usually if there is no other way. During breastfeeding, the antibiotic is transmitted through milk in small concentrations. Therefore, its use in young mothers is justified, if there are certain indications. It should be noted that antibiotic treatment of children, pregnant and lactating women should be carried out only under the supervision of a specialist, that is, taking into account all the pros and cons.
Application chart
To use the drug "Ceftriaxone", you need to know how to prepare a solution for administration intramuscularly or intravenously. Quite often in the network there is a question about how to breed Ceftriaxone with water. It is absolutely impossible to do this, since water can have a detrimental effect on soft tissues and human blood. Instead of water, you can use the following liquids to dilute the powder:
- "Novocaine";
- Lidocaine
- special liquid for injection.
Which substance is better to breed Ceftriaxone? To relieve pain during the injection, experts recommend using Lidocaine. Let us consider in more detail the use of this substance.
To prepare intramuscular injections with Lidocaine, you will need to buy a 1% solution of the drug. To obtain a dosage of 250 m, add to 0.5 g of Ceftriaxone 2 ml of 1% Lidocaine. Then dial half the resulting solution with an injection syringe. This will be the dosage of 250 mg.
"Novocain" is not recommended for the preparation of the solution, since its compatibility with Ceftriaxone is in doubt. If you still decide to prepare an injection with this substance, then you will need to observe the following dosages.
To prepare a solution with a concentration of 1 g, you need to take a 0.5% solution of "Novocaine" and enter into a bottle of "Ceftriaxone" with a dosage of 1000 mg. If you need to enter 500 mg of the active substance at a time, then you need to measure half of the resulting liquid. If 250 mg is a quarter.
Injections of "Ceftriaxone" must be carried out clearly following the instructions for use. It is in every package of the drug.
Before injection, you must prepare all the items that you may need during the medical procedure. Typically, this list includes: gloves, a 1.2 or 3 ml syringe with a thin needle, alcohol wipes, sterile cotton wool, Lidocaine or Novocaine, Ceftriaxone:
- Before the procedure, you need to wash your hands with soap.
- Prepare a solution for administration: to do this, draw the liquid with a syringe and inject it into the Ceftriaxone vial. Shake vigorously and wait until the small grains of the substance dissolve completely.
- Collect the required amount of the drug with a syringe. It must be ensured that there is not even the slightest air bubble inside it. If you still notice it, you need to turn the syringe with the needle up and carefully release it.
- Then wipe the skin in the place where you are going to inject. Usually, the upper right side of the buttocks is chosen for injection.
- Then you just have to make the injection itself, remembering that the puncture needs to be done quickly and the drug should be administered slowly.
- After completion, attach an alcoholic cotton swab, and after a while replace it with a regular cotton wool (until the blood stops).
Reviews on "Ceftriaxone"
One may come across different opinions about Ceftriaxone. Some people write about him as a medicine that saved their life. Others complain of numerous side effects after application. Reviews of Ceftriaxone prove that it heals almost everything and is harmful to most bacteria. It is used for pneumonia, sinusitis, tonsillitis, urinary tract infections and much more. For this, many patients call him their "savior", since the use of this antibiotic allows you to get rid of the disease in two ways. True, such a quick deliverance has its consequences. The intestinal microflora almost always suffers, and even taking probiotics during the course does not help. And this entails such side effects as bloating, dysbiosis, discomfort and stool disorders. You can also find very negative reviews about Ceftriaxone. Patients and their relatives in their reviews call it a dangerous drug, after the use of which they started cramps, breathing problems and swelling. Therefore, taking Ceftriaxone without a doctor’s control in a hospital is prohibited, as the most unforeseen reactions can occur, including loss of consciousness and cardiac arrest. What other positive and negative aspects does this drug have? The pluses include:
- high efficiency;
- availability;
- wide range of applications;
- rare cases of allergic reactions to the components of the drug.
But Ceftriaxon has many disadvantages:
- use the drug only in a hospital, under the supervision of a doctor;
- serious side effects;
- the possibility of an unexpected reaction of the body to the medicine;
- soreness in injections;
- violation of the intestinal microflora, followed by a long recovery.
Drug cost
Ceftriaxone is one of the most affordable drugs in the pharmacy. The medicine is sold in separate bottles. Package of Ceftriaxone 50 pcs. It costs from 800 rubles. If you need to purchase the medicine individually, then for one bottle you will have to give about 20 rubles. Ceftriaxone is produced by various pharmaceutical companies, but the most common is a Russian-made drug. You can buy medicine at any pharmacy by prescription.
Analogs
In the event that it is not possible to buy Ceftriaxone or another form of the drug is necessary, analogues of the drug may come to the rescue:
- Ceftriabol;
- Cefaxon
- Ibizef
- Loraxon.
For young children and patients outside the hospital, it is preferable to take the medicine in the form of syrup or tablets. To do this, you need to purchase one of the following drugs at the pharmacy:
- "Pantsef" - has the active ingredient cefixime (broad-spectrum cephalosporin).
- "Cephalexin" is a first-generation antibiotic from the group of cephalosporins.
- Ceforal Solutab - cefixime tablets that are similar in effect to ceftriaxone.
- Suprax is a tablet form of cefixime.
Summary
Cephalosporin antibiotics are very effective, affordable and diverse, so doctors often prescribe them for various diseases, especially in cases complicated by a bacterial infection. Treatment with "Ceftriaxone" acts quickly and within a couple of days improves the patient's condition.