Antimicrobials
Cefuroxime

Cefuroxime

Medium
Moderate
See below under General Info

Dosing

General Information

Hospital Formulary Status Yes (PO solid, PO powder for susp, parenteral inj)

In-Hospital Cost will be updated

PharmaCare Formulary Status Yes (PO solid, PO susp)

SA None

PharmaCare Coverage 250mg PO - $0.9059/tab 500mg PO - $1.5484/tab 125mg/5ml PO susp recon - $0.1938/ml

Outpatient Cost 250mg PO - $0.85-1.20/tab 500mg PO - $1.62-1.97/tab 125mg/5ml PO susp recon - $0.19-0.22/ml 750mg powder for soln/inj - $21.48-23.63/vial 7.5g powder for soln/inj - 161.14-177.25/vial

  •  Community acquired pneumonia with a macrolide
  •  Intraabdominal infection
  •  Epiglottitis

Acute liver injury (mainly with IV)

  • usually mild and self-limiting
  • involves cholestatic hepatitis and elevations in ALT, AST and alkaline phosphatase
  • liver failure is rare

Neutropenia (mainly with IV)

  • associated with immune-mediated destruction of polymorphonuclear leukocytes
  • sx: abrupt onset of fever, rash, and eosinophilia

Thrombocytopenia (mainly with IV)

  • acute immune-mediated
  • usually platelet count normalizes within 2 weeks after discontinuation

Allergic interstitial nephritis (mainly with IV)

  • sx: acute and often severe renal failure, with active urinary sediment (hematuria, proteinuria, and pyuria) but no red cell casts
  • usually signs of hypersensitivity are present (fever, peripheral eosinophilia, eosinophiluria and rash)
  • several cases of cross-sensitivity between beta-lactam antibiotics

Pulmonary infiltrate with eosinophilia (PIE) syndrome (mainly with IV)

  • sx: abrupt onset of fever, chills, dyspnea, pulmonary infiltrates and peripheral eosinophilia

Allergic reaction (PO and IV)

  • IgE-mediated
  • sx: pruritus, flushing, urticaria, angioedema, wheezing, laryngeal edema, hypotension, and/or anaphylaxis
  • sx usually appear within 4 hrs of administration but may begin within mins

Serum sickness (PO and IV)

  • late allergic reaction
  • sx: fever, rash, adenopathy, arthritis and glomerulonephritis
  • associated with circulating immune complexes

Rash (PO and IV)

  • includes morbilliform rash, erythema multiforme, SJS, exfoliative dermatitis, toxic epidermal necrolysis and vasculitis
  • sx: photosensitivity, skin lesions, mucosal membrane ulceration, erythema, scaling, palpable purpura and/or positive Nikolsky's sign

Note: EBV-related rash - not an allergy

  • morbilliform rash, occurring 48 hrs to weeks after initial amoxicillin exposure in patients with Epstein Barr Virus, does not appear to be a true drug allergy

None significant; potential increase in INR with warfarin

Antimicrobial class: 2nd Generation Cephalosporin

Pregnancy category: B

Average serum half life: 2.0 hr

Urine penetration: Therapeutic

Lung penetration: Therapeutic

CSF penetration: Poor

Biliary penetration: Therapeutic