Ceftazidime

Description

Ceftazidime is a cephalosporin antibiotic. It is used to treat bacterial infections affecting the lungs, bone, joint, heart, stomach, intestine, skin, and urinary tract - the kidneys, bladder, ureters, or urethra. It is also used to treat a sexually transmitted infection caused by Neisseria gonorrhoea bacteria that infects both men and women. This medicine kills or stops the growth of bacteria causing the infection. It is not effective against infections caused by viruses. Side effects of Ceftazidime are diarrhoea, pain at the injection site, headache, weakness, and dizziness. Do not use this medicine if you are previously allergic to it. It is administered into your vein by a health care professional in a hospital or clinic. Your doctor will determine how much ceftazidime dose you need each day and how often the injections should be given. Once an antibiotic is started, it is always recommended to finish the entire course of treatment.

Side effects

Major & minor side effects for Ceftazidime

  • Stomach pain
  • Bloating
  • Diarrhoea
  • Headache
  • Swelling and redness at the injection site
  • White patches in the mouth or on the tongue
  • Dizziness
  • Fast heartbeat
  • Loss of appetite
  • Skin rash

Uses of Ceftazidime

What is it prescribed for?

  • Bacterial Meningitis
  • Bacterial Septicemia
  • Intra-abdominal Infection
  • Community-Acquired Pneumonia
  • Bone and joint infections
  • Gonorrhoea
  • Urinary Tract Infection
  • Skin and soft tissue infections
  • Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
  • Bacterial endocarditis
Read More
Concerns

Commonly asked questions

  • Onset of action
    The effect of ceftazidime starts immediately after the administration. You will start to feel better in 3 to 5 days after receiving this injection.
  • Duration of effect
    The effect of ceftazidime lasts for an average duration of approximately 8-12 hours.
  • Safe with alcohol?
    Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
  • Is it habit forming?
    No habit-forming tendency has been reported for Ceftazidime.
  • Usage in pregnancy?
    Ceftazidime is may be safe in pregnancy to treat bacterial infections. It is not known to cause birth defects when taken by pregnant women. Hence it is acceptable for use upon your doctor's recommendation.
  • Usage while breast-feeding?
    Ceftazidime is may be safe to use during breastfeeding. It enters into breast milk at low levels. Hence it should only be used if the benefit is greater than the risk of harm to the baby. If used, the baby should be observed for symptoms such as diarrhoea and yeast infection.

Allergy

Avoid using Ceftazidime if you are previously allergic to it. Some patients may get allergic reactions to this medicine. Seek immediate medical attention if you notice any symptoms of allergic reactions such as skin rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, breathing difficulties, etc.
Warnings for special population

Pregnancy

Ceftazidime is may be safe in pregnancy to treat bacterial infections. It is not known to cause birth defects when taken by pregnant women. Hence it is acceptable for use upon your doctor's recommendation.

Breast-feeding

Ceftazidime is may be safe to use during breastfeeding. It enters into breast milk at low levels. Hence it should only be used if the benefit is greater than the risk of harm to the baby. If used, the baby should be observed for symptoms such as diarrhoea and yeast infection.
General warnings

Allergy

Ceftazidime is likely to cause allergic skin reactions in some people. Seek immediate medical attention if you notice any symptoms such as skin rash, or severe itching/swelling, especially on the face.

Antobiotic resistance

The entire course of treatment with Ceftazidime should be completed, even if the condition gets better to avoid antibiotic resistance.

Diarrhoea

Ceftazidime can cause diarrhoea because it may also kill the helpful bacteria in your stomach or intestine. Inform your doctor if you experience severe diarrhoea while receiving this medicine.

Missed Dose

Since Ceftazidime injection is administered in the hospital or clinical setting by a qualified healthcare professional, the likelihood of a missed dose is very low.

Overdose

Since Ceftazidime is administered in the hospital setting by a qualified healthcare professional, the likelihood of an overdose is very low. However, emergency medical treatment will be initiated by the 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

Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.

Instructions

Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
Interaction with Medicine

Amikacin

Ethinyl Estradiol

Cholera Vaccine

Furosemide

Cyclosporine

Disease interactions

Impaired kidney function

Ceftazidime is filtered by the kidney and moved out of the body through urine. Patients with kidney diseases need special consideration while using Ceftazidime due to the risk of kidney damage. Dose adjustment should be done based on the clinical condition.

Colitis

Ceftazidime can kill the helpful bacteria in your stomach or intestine and leads to diarrhoea. Therefore use this medicine with extreme caution in patients with gastrointestinal (mouth to anus) diseases, particularly colitis (swelling of the inner lining of the colon), since it may worsen the patient's condition.

Seizure disorders

Use Ceftazidime with caution in patients with seizures or fits because it can trigger the condition. Seizure medicines should be continued in patients with a known seizure disorder. Dose adjustment for Ceftazidime might be required in some patients.

Impaired liver function

Ceftazidime may increase liver enzyme levels and cause liver swelling. Patients with liver diseases need special consideration while using Ceftazidime due to the risk of liver damage. Dose adjustment should be done based on the clinical condition.
Food interactions
Information not available.
Lab interactions
Information not available.
Ceftazidime should be administered by a qualified healthcare professional in the clinical or hospital setting. Report any undesirable side effects to the doctor promptly. Your doctor will determine an appropriate ceftazidime dosage based on your clinical condition. Ceftazidime injection price may vary based on the available ceftazidime injection brands.
Miscelleneous

Usage does not depend on food timings

To be taken as instructed by doctor

May cause sleepiness

How it works
Ceftazidime works by preventing the formation of bacterial cell walls. This helps in stopping the growth and multiplication of the microorganism, eventually killing it.
Legal Status

Approved

Approved

Approved

Approved

Classification

Category

Third generation cephalosporins, Antibiotics

Schedule

Schedule H

Medicines.org.uk. 2021. Ceftazidime 1g Powder for solution for injection - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) - (emc). [online] Available at: < [Accessed 8 March 2021].

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/6346/smpc>

Ceftazidime Injection: MedlinePlus Drug Information [Internet]. Medlineplus.gov. 2017 [cited 31 March 2017]. Available from:

https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a686007.html

DailyMed - Ceftazidime injection, powder, for solution [Internet]. Dailymed.nlm.nih.gov. 2017 [cited 31 March 2017]. Available from:

https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=112c5457-8d71-49f5-b531-9761d7d38c93#s37

Go.drugbank.com. 2021. Ceftazidime | DrugBank Online. [online] Available at: < [Accessed 8 March 2021].

https://go.drugbank.com/drugs/DB00438>

Pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. 2021. Ceftazidime. [online] Available at: < [Accessed 8 March 2021].

https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/5481173>

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Information on this page was last updated on 8 Mar 2021

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.