Cefotaxime Injection

Cefotaxime injection is used to treat certain infections caused by bacteria including pneumonia and other lower respiratory tract (lung) infections; gonorrhea (a sexually transmitted disease); meningitis (infection of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord) and other brain and spinal cord infections; and abdominal (stomach area), female reproductive organs, skin, blood, bone, joint, and urinary tract infections. Cefotaxime injection may also be used before surgery, and during and after a cesarean section, in order to prevent the patient from getting an infection. Cefotaxime injection is in a class of medications called cephalosporin antibiotics. It works by killing bacteria.

Antibiotics such as cefotaxime injection will not work for colds, flu, or other viral infections. Using antibiotics when they are not needed increases your risk of getting an infection later that resists antibiotic treatment.

🔔 How should this medicine be used?

Cefotaxime injection comes as a powder to be mixed with liquid to be injected intravenously (into a vein) or intramuscularly (into a muscle). Cefotaxime injection is also available as a premixed product to be injected intravenously. How often you receive cefotaxime injection and the length of your treatment depends on the type of infection you have and how your body responds to the medication.

You may receive cefotaxime injection in a hospital or you may administer the medication at home. If you will be receiving cefotaxime injection at home, your healthcare provider will show you how to use the medication. Be sure that you understand these directions, and ask your healthcare provider if you have any questions.

You should begin to feel better during the first few days of treatment with cefotaxime injection. If your symptoms do not improve or get worse, call your doctor.

Use cefotaxime injection until you finish the prescription, even if you feel better.If you stop using cefotaxime injection too soon or skip doses, your infection may not be completely treated and the bacteria may become resistant to antibiotics.

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🔔 Other uses for this medicine

Cefotaxime injection is also sometimes used to treat typhoid fever (a serious infection that is common in developing countries), salmonella (an infection that causes severe diarrhea) and other types of infectious diarrhea, food poisoning, Lyme disease (an infection that may develop after a person is bitten by a tick), and a certain type of infection from dog bites. Talk to your doctor about the risks of using this medication for your condition.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

🔔 What special precautions should I follow?

Before taking cefotaxime injection,

• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to cefotaxime, other cephalosporin antibiotics such as cefaclor, cefadroxil, cefazolin (Ancef, Kefzol), cefdinir, cefditoren (Spectracef), cefepime (Maxipime), cefixime (Suprax), cefotetan, cefoxitin (Mefoxin), cefpodoxime, cefprozil, ceftaroline (Teflaro), ceftazidime (Fortaz, Tazicef, in Avycaz), ceftibuten (Cedax), ceftriaxone (Rocephin), cefuroxime (Zinacef), and cephalexin (Keflex); penicillin antibiotics; or any other medications. Also tell your doctor if you are allergic to any of the ingredients in cefotaxime injection. Ask your pharmacist for a list of the ingredients.
• tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention any of the following: amikacin, furosemide (Lasix), gentamicin, kanamycin, neomycin (Neo-Fradin), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve), probenecid (Probalan), streptomycin, and tobramycin. Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.
• tell your doctor if you have or have ever had any kind of allergies, recent surgery or trauma, diabetes, cancer, heart failure, gastrointestinal disease (GI; affecting the stomach or intestines), especially colitis (condition that causes swelling in the lining of the colon [large intestine]), or kidney disease.
• tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. If you become pregnant while taking cefotaxime injection, call your doctor.