Not every drug with diseases can be for every adult, and even more so for a child, therefore, when prescribing a medicine cefotaxime to infants, every mother worries about the health of her baby. Such anxiety is in vain, since this antibiotic is among the drugs that can be taken even by newborns.
The drug cefotaxime
Cefotaxime is a powder that belongs to the group of cephalosporins. It is a semi-synthetic antibiotic of the last generation, which indicates that it is not only effective, but also very safe. This drug has a broad spectrum of action and is intended for parenteral administration.
Indications for the use of cefotaxime are infections that are caused by microorganisms that are sensitive to it:
- diseases of the lower respiratory tract (pneumonia, bronchitis, abscesses or pleurisy);
- diseases of the urinary tract;
- impaired renal function;
- diseases of the ear, throat and nose (otitis or sore throats, but not enterococcal infections);
- septicemia;
- Lyme disease;
- endocarditis;
- diseases of soft tissues, bones, abdominal cavity;
- gynecological infectious diseases (chlamydia, uncomplicated gonorrhea);
- bacterial meningitis (with the exception of listeriosis).
Also, cefotaxime to children and adults can be prescribed for the prevention of postoperative complications.
Mode of application
Cefotaxime is prescribed intravenously, intramuscularly, by drip and jet. In spite of the fact that the nurse or the doctor in the medical institution will introduce the medicine, they want to see if they will do it right, every mother wants. To do this, you need to know how to dilute cefotaxime to children. For intramuscular injection, 0.5 g of the powder of this drug is added to the lidocaine solution. Enter it deep into the gluteus muscle.
With intravenous administration, first 0.5 g of the drug is dissolved in 2 ml of sterile water for injection, and then adjusted to 10 ml with a solvent. The dosage of cefotaxime to children is less than that of an adult, but in any case, it is administered slowly, about 3-5 minutes. Drip introduction to the vein takes 50 to 60 minutes and for this 2 g of the drug is dissolved in a solution of glucose (5%) or in 100 ml of isotonic sodium chloride solution.
The usual dosage of cefotaxime, when injections or drops are given to children under 12 years of age or to a newborn, is 50-100 mg per 1 kg of body weight per day. At the same time, gaps must be observed which are set individually from 6 to 12 hours. The daily dose for premature infants should not exceed 50 mg / kg.
Side effects and contraindications
Before pricking cefotaxime in children, each doctor informs the mother of the child that this medicine has side effects. After its introduction may appear:
- allergic reactions (hyperemia, rashes, fever, in rare cases, anaphylactic shock);
- nausea, vomiting, dysbiosis, abdominal pain, superinfection, diarrhea in children ;
- changes in biochemical parameters;
- headache;
- pain in the injection site, inflammation of the tissues.
Also cefotaxime has contraindications. If your child has a heightened susceptibility to antibiotics of the cephalosporin series or penicillin, bleeding or enterocolitis in a history, be sure to notify your health care provider that the drug is incompatible with these diseases, and caution should be taken with cefotaxime in children with functional impairment liver.