Brand name : Rocephin (Ceftriaxone Sodium Injection)
US Brand Names : Ancef
Bio-Cef , Ceclor, Cedax, Cefizox Cefobid Cefotan Ceftin Cefzil Claforan Duricef FortazKeflin Lorabid Mandol Maxipime Mefoxin Omnicef Rocephin Spectracef Suprax Vantin Velosef Zinacef

Canadian Brand Names : Apo-Cefaclor Cefaclor Cefotaxime Cefuroxime CeptazGen-Cefaclor Keflex Novo-Lexin Nu-Cefaclor

Description

Cephalosporins are used in the treatment of infections caused by bacteria. They work by killing bacteria or preventing their growth.

Cephalosporins are used to treat infections in many different parts of the body. They are sometimes given with other antibiotics. Some cephalosporins given by injection are also used to prevent infections before, during, and after surgery. However, cephalosporins will not work for colds, flu, or other virus infections.

Once a medicine has been approved for marketing for a certain use, experience may show that it is also useful for other medical problems. Although these uses are not included in product labeling, cephalosporins are used in certain patients with the following medical conditions:

Amoxicillin-resistant sinusitis (treatment)—Cefaclor
Bacterial endocarditis (Prophylaxis)—Cefadroxil, cefazolin, and cephalexin
Melioidosis (treatment)—Ceftazidime

This product is available in the following dosage forms:

Powder for Solution : Capsule
Powder for Suspension Solution
Tablet
Injectable
Tablet for Suspension
Tablet, Chewable
Tablet, Extended Release

Before Using Rocephin (Ceftriaxone Sodium Injection) without a prescriptions :

Allergies :Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to medicines in this group or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric:Many cephalosporins have been tested in children and, in effective doses, have not been shown to cause different side effects or problems than they do in adults. However, there are some cephalosporins that have not been tested in children up to 12 years of age.

Geriatric:Cephalosporins have been used in the elderly, and they are not expected to cause different side effects or problems in older people than they do in younger adults.

Pregnancy:Studies have not been done in humans. However, most cephalosporins have not been reported to cause birth defects or other problems in animal studies. Studies in rabbits have shown that cefoxitin may increase the risk of miscarriages and cause other problems. Before taking a cephalosporin, make sure your doctor knows if you are pregnant or if you may become pregnant.

Breastfeeding:It is not known if cefditoren passes into breast milk. Most cephalosporins pass into breast milk, usually in small amounts. However, cephalosporins have not been reported to cause problems in nursing babies. Mothers who are taking a cephalosporin and who wish to breast-feed should discuss this with their doctor.

Drug Interactions:Using medicines in this class with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

Heparin:Other Interactions

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using medicines in this class with any of the following is usually not recommended, but may be unavoidable in some cases. If used together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use your medicine, or give you special instructions about the use of food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Ethanol

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of medicines in this class. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

Bleeding problems, history of (cefamandole, cefditoren, cefoperazone, and cefotetan only)—These medicines may increase the chance of bleeding.Carnitine, low levels—Cefditoren may cause carnitine levels to decrease further.Kidney disease—Some cephalosporins need to be given at a lower dose to people with kidney disease. Also, cephalothin, and cefuroxime especially, may increase the chance of kidney damage

Liver disease (cefoperazone and cefuroxime)—Cefoperazone needs to be given at a lower dose to people with liver disease. Condition may be worsened by cefuroxime use.Phenylketonuria—Cefprozil oral suspension contains phenylalanine.Poor nutritional status—These may be worsened by cefuroxime and you may need to have vitamin K.Stomach or gastrointestinal disease, history of (especially colitis, including colitis caused by antibiotics, or enteritis)—Cephalosporins may cause colitis in some patients.

Proper Use Rocephin (Ceftriaxone Sodium Injection)

Cephalosporins may be taken on a full or empty stomach. If this medicine upsets your stomach, it may help to take it with food.

Cefaclor extended-release tablets, cefditoren, cefpodoxime, and cefuroxime axetil should be taken with food to increase absorption of the medicine. Ceftibuten oral suspension should be taken on an empty stomach, at least 2 hours before or 1 hour after a meal.

Loracarbef should be taken at least 1 hour before eating or at least 2 hours after eating.

For patients taking the oral liquid form of this medicine:

This medicine is to be taken by mouth. Use a specially marked measuring spoon or other device to measure each dose accurately. The average household teaspoon may not hold the right amount of liquid.
Do not use after the expiration date on the label since the medicine may not work properly after that date. Check with your pharmacist if you have any questions about this.

For patients taking cefaclor chewable tablets:

Chew tablet completely before swallowing. Do not swallow whole.

To help clear up your infection completely, keep taking this medicine for the full time of treatment, even if you begin to feel better after a few days. If you have a “strep” infection, you should keep taking this medicine for at least 10 days. This is especially important in “strep” infections since serious heart or kidney problems could develop later if your infection is not cleared up completely. Also, if you stop taking this medicine too soon, your symptoms may return.

This medicine works best when there is a constant amount in the blood or urine. To help keep the amount constant, do not miss any doses. Also, it is best to take the doses at evenly spaced times, day and night. For example, if you are to take four doses a day, the doses should be spaced about 6 hours apart. If this interferes with your sleep or other daily activities, or if you need help in planning the best times to take your medicine, check with your health care professional.

Dosing

The dose medicines in this class will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of these medicines. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.