by Dr. Manura Nanayakkara

Created on: July 12, 2010

Cefotaxime is an antibiotic in cephalosporin family. It is a broad spectrum antibiotic, prescribed in wide variety of serious infections. It is only available in intravenous form.

 It is a third generation cephalosporin with more activity against gram negative bacteria (bacteria with tougher cell walls). Cephalosporins are part of the super family, beta lactams. Beta lactam antibiotics act by inhibiting cell wall synthesis of the susceptible bacteria.

 This medication is only given as an intravenous injection (given at once) or infusion (given for some time) in larger doses.

 This drug cannot be given to patients who are hypersensitive to cephalosporin antibiotics. If the patient has kidney disease, or diabetes then he/she must discuss with the doctor before taking Cefotaxime. Cefotaxime is known to alter urine glucose test. The doctor should know whether the patient is pregnant or breast feeding before prescribing cefotaxime. But doctors usually use this drug during pregnancy and breast feeding because this drug can be a life saving medication in certain scenarios.

 Usage

This drug is useful in following conditions

* Serious bone and joint infections: - usually longer duration of therapy is needed.

* Serious intra abdominal infections: - Infections inside the abdomen

* Pelvic inflammatory disease: - infection in ovaries, tubes, uterus and surrounding structures.

* Infection inside the uterus: - Usually the inner lining of the uterus.

* Meningitis: - Infection/Inflammation in the meninges (membranes covering the brain and spinal cord).

* Brain abscesses:- It is used in conjunction with other antibiotics in higher doses for longer duration. 

* Serious lower respiratory tract infections including pneumonia

* Septicemia: - Multiplying bacteria in the blood.

* Serious skin infections

* Serious urinary tract infections: - Usually kidney and upper urinary tract infections.

This medication is also useful in treatment of gonorrhea, typhoid fever and lyme disease as well.

Apart from above conditions this drug is useful in any serious bacterial infection caused by a susceptible organism.

 Prior to antibiotics therapy doctors usually test the sensitivity of the bacteria for cefotaxime, because resistance to Cefotaxime has developed over time.

This antibiotic can be used in adults as well as in new born babies.

 Problems with this drug

Nausea, vomting, diarrhea and headache are commonest side effects. Rarely patients can develop a life threatening complication called anaphylactic reaction (shock). This characterized by sudden faintish ness, low blood pressure, breathing difficulty and pallor.

 Another potentially life threatening condition is antibiotic associated colitis. This is common to most of the broad spectrum antibiotics. This is characterized by severe foul smelling diarrhea with gross blood and mucus, and abdominal cramps. Antibiotic associated colitis is caused by endotoxins released by a bacterium in the normal intestinal flora called clostridium difficile.

 Sources

BNF

AHFS Drug information

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