Cefuroxime: Uses And Precautions

When administering this antibiotic, it is important to keep in mind that there are a number of population groups in which the effect of cefuroxime could cause serious problems.

If you have ever had an ear or throat infection, or even a urinary tract infection, your doctor may have prescribed cefuroxime to treat these conditions.

Cefuroxime is an antibiotic belonging to the cephalosporin family. More precisely, it is a second generation cephalosporin. But what does that mean?

What are antibiotics?

Understanding this term is essential in order to understand how cefuroxime works and where it comes from. Therefore, the term antibiotic refers to chemicals produced by a living being or synthetic derivatives thereof which kill or prevent the growth of certain classes of sensitive microorganisms.

Also, they are called antibacterials because, in general, they are used to fight infections caused by bacteria. In this way, they aim to eradicate or kill the bacteria or to inhibit its growth.

For this, they present different mechanisms of action. Some affect protein synthesis; others affect DNA and others affect the cell wall, for example.

Depending on the mechanism of action they trigger, they are classified into one family or another. In this case, cefuroxime belongs to the beta-lactam family, which we will see later.

Finally, it is worth mentioning the importance of avoiding self-medication with antibiotics. This practice is a serious personal and public health problem.

Beta-lactams

Beta-lactams are antibiotics which owe their action to their ability to inhibit the synthesis of peptidoglycan from the cell wall. More precisely, they inhibit the process of transpeptidation.

For this, they must enter the cell so that they can have their effect. Once inside, they bind to penicillin binding proteins.

Antibiotics that belong to this group are narrow-spectrum drugs, that is, they are effective only against Gram + bacteria. Plus, they’re bactericidal, which means they kill the pathogen.

On the other hand, they are drugs that can be administered both orally and parenterally. They have a good safety profile and although they can cross the placenta, they are used as the drugs of choice during pregnancy due to their good safety profile.

Among the most used are:

• Penicillins
• Cephalosporins : this is the group to which cefuroxime belongs.
• Monobactams : active against Gram- bacteria.

What is cefuroxime used for?

First, it bears repeating that cefuroxime is a member of the cephalosporin subfamily; that is, antibiotics similar to penicillin but which, unlike penicillin, have a better action against certain bacteria, as the Journal of the Faculty of Medicine of Caracas, Venezuela points out.

Basically, cefuroxime is used to treat infections caused by bacteria sensitive to beta-lactam antibiotics. For this reason, it has antimicrobial activity against microorganisms such as:

• Haemophilus influenzae.
• Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
• Borrelia burgdoferi .

It is indicated when this type of bacteria triggers infection of the ears, throat, paranasal sinuses, urinary tract and even the skin.

Side effects

Like other cephalosporins, administration of cefuroxime can trigger a number of side effects. Normally, those of a gastrointestinal nature predominate, such as:

• Discomfort.
• Stomach ache.
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea.

Out of curiosity, some patients have been found to be allergic to cephalosporins. This allergy affects about 10% of the population allergic to penicillin. However, a cross allergy between penicillin and cefuroxime and other second and new generation cephalosporins has not been demonstrated.

Precautions for use of cefuroxime

When administering this antibiotic it is important to keep in mind that there are a number of population groups where the effect of cefuroxime could cause serious problems. Among these situations which require special precautions, we can cite:

• Hypersensitivity reactions. Before starting treatment, it should be determined whether the patient has a history of severe hypersensitivity reactions to cefuroxime. But also to other cephalosporins or to any beta-lactam. Caution is advised if cefuroxime is administered to patients with a history of non-severe hypersensitivity to other beta-lactam agents.
• Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction . This reaction may start after treatment for Lyme disease with cefuroxime. The reaction is caused directly by the bactericidal activity of cefuroxime on the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdoferi .
• Proliferation of non-susceptible microorganisms. The use of cefuroxime could lead to superinfection caused by Candida . In addition, prolonged use could also trigger an overgrowth of microorganisms not sensitive to this antibiotic which would necessitate the interruption of treatment.
• Interference with diagnostic tests. Treatment with this antibiotic could affect the results of some diagnostic tests. For example, with a cross match of blood.

Use of cefuroxime only with a prescription

Cefuroxime is an antibiotic belonging to the cephalosporin family. It inhibits the synthesis of the cell wall of sensitive bacteria, thus causing their death.

Rational use should be made of both this drug and other antibiotics. Self-medication and its abuse are the source of a major public health problem and major complications in the clinical development of new antimicrobial drugs.