Cefoperazone
Description
Cefoperazone is an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections that affect your nose, throat, lungs, urinary tract, skin, bones, joints, etc. It works by preventing the formation of the bacterial cell wall (protective covering), thus killing the infection-causing bacteria. This medication is effective only for the treatment of infections caused by bacteria and not viruses.
Cefoperazone may cause common side effects such as skin rash, nausea/vomiting, diarrhoea, etc. Consult your doctor if these symptoms persist or worsen.
Cefoperazone is administered by a qualified healthcare professional in a clinic or hospital setting. Do not self-administer this medicine. The dose and duration of treatment will depend on your condition. Follow all the instructions given by your doctor.
Cefoperazone is not recommended for use if you are allergic to it. Inform your doctor if you have any kidney or liver problems before starting treatment with this medicine. If you are pregnant or are breastfeeding, consult your doctor before receiving this medication.
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Side effects
Major & minor side effects for Cefoperazone
- Diarrhoea
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Skin rash
- Decrease in blood cell count
- Decreased haemoglobin level
- Headache
- Pain at injection site
- Fever with chills
- Increased liver enzyme levels
Uses of Cefoperazone
What is it prescribed for?
- Upper Respiratory Tract Infection
- Lower Respiratory Tract Infection
- Urinary Tract Infection
- Intraabdominal Infection
- Bacterial Septicaemia
- Skin and Soft tissue infections
- Bone and Joint infections
- Genital Infections
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Concerns
Commonly asked questions
- Onset of actionThe time required by Cefoperazone to show its effect is not clinically known.
- Duration of effectCefoperazone remains active in your body for an approximate duration of 12 hours after administration.
- Safe with alcohol?Consumption of alcohol is not recommended during treatment with Cefoperazone due to the increased risk of side effects such as flushing (reddening of your skin, usually of the face), nausea, vomiting, and fast heartbeat.
- Is it habit forming?No habit-forming tendencies have been reported with Cefoperazone.
- Usage in pregnancy?Cefoperazone may be used during pregnancy upon your doctor's recommendation as animal studies indicate no harm to the foetus. However, human data is not available. Hence, consult your doctor to understand the potential benefits and risks before receiving the medicine.
- Usage while breast-feeding?Cefoperazone may pass into the breastmilk in low amounts, hence it should be used with caution while breastfeeding. Consult your doctor if you are breastfeeding to understand the potential benefits and risks.
Allergy
Cefoperazone is not recommended for use if you are allergic to it. Seek immediate medical attention if you notice any symptoms such as skin rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, breathing difficulty, etc.
Warnings for special population
Pregnancy
Cefoperazone may be used during pregnancy upon your doctor's recommendation as animal studies indicate no harm to the foetus. However, human data is not available. Hence, consult your doctor to understand the potential benefits and risks before receiving the medicine.
Breast-feeding
Cefoperazone may pass into the breastmilk in low amounts, hence it should be used with caution while breastfeeding. Consult your doctor if you are breastfeeding to understand the potential benefits and risks.
General warnings
Antibiotic resistance
Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria develop the ability to defeat the medicine that was intended to kill them. This can be avoided by following the dose and duration of treatment as prescribed by your doctor. Finish the entire course of treatment with Cefoperazone even if your symptoms get better after a few doses.
Diarrhoea
Cefoperazone can cause diarrhoea as it may also kill the helpful bacteria in your stomach or intestine. Get emergency medical help if you experience severe watery or bloody diarrhoea. Consult your pharmacist/doctor before taking anti-diarrhoeal medication.
For parenteral use only
Cefoperazone is meant to be administered either by intravenous route (injected through the vein) or by intramuscular route (injected into the muscles) only.
Missed Dose
As Cefoperazone is administered in the hospital setting by a qualified healthcare professional, the likelihood of a missed dose is very low.
Overdose
As Cefoperazone is administered in the hospital setting by a qualified healthcare professional, the likelihood of an overdose is very low. Moreover, emergency medical treatment will be initiated by your doctor if an overdose is suspected.
All drugs interact differently for person to person. You should check all the possible interactions with your doctor before starting any medicine.
Interaction with Alcohol
Description
N/A
Instructions
Consumption of alcohol is not recommended during treatment with Cefoperazone due to the increased risk of side effects such as flushing (reddening of your skin, usually of the face), nausea, vomiting, and fast heartbeat.
Interaction with Medicine
Probenecid
Ethinyl Estradiol
Warfarin
Disease interactions
Kidney/Liver Disease
Cefoperazone should be used with caution if you have pre-existing kidney/liver problems due to the increased risk of side effects. Your doctor may suggest tests to monitor your kidney/liver function and recommend dose adjustments based on your clinical condition.
Food interactions
Information not available.
Lab interactions
Coombs test
Coombs tests is done to find certain antibodies (proteins made by the immune system) that attack red blood cells. Use of Cefoperazone may give a false result for the Coombs test.
Urine Sugar Test (Benedict's of Fehling's reagent)
Benedict's or Fehling's Test is done to determine sugar levels in the urine. Cefoperazone may give a false-positive result for the determination of sugar in your urine with Benedict's or Fehling's reagent. Hence, inform your doctor or lab technician that you are receiving Cefoperazone before the lab test.
Cefoperazone is administered in the clinic/hospital setting under the supervision of a qualified healthcare professional.
If you experience any reactions at the site of injection (redness/pain/swelling) that become bothersome, inform your doctor immediately.
Cefoperazone may cause diarrhoea. Consult your doctor if you experience a severe worsening of your condition.
Cefoperazone may affect your blood cell count, haemoglobin levels, and liver enzyme levels. Your doctor may suggest tests to monitor your blood cell counts and liver enzyme levels during treatment with this medicine.
Miscelleneous
How it works
Cefoperazone works by preventing the formation of the bacterial cell wall, the outer covering required for the bacterial cells to stay alive. Thus it kills the infection-causing bacteria.
Legal Status
Classification
Category
Third generation cephalosporins, Antibiotics
Schedule
Schedule H1
Pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. 2021. Cefoperazone. [online] Available at: < [Accessed 12 November 2021].
Accessdata.fda.gov. 2021. [online] Available at: < [Accessed 20 November 2021].
Information on this page was last updated on 1 Mar 2022
Disclaimer
We’ve made all possible efforts to ensure that the information provided here is accurate, up-to-date and complete, however, it should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Practo only provides reference source for common information on medicines and does not guarantee its accuracy or exhaustiveness. The absence of a warning for any drug or combination thereof, should not be assumed to indicate that the drug or combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for any given patient. Practo does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information provided above. If you have any doubts about your medication then we strongly recommend that you consult with your doctor, nurse or healthcare provider. See detailed T&C here.