Ceftizoxime Dosage

Applies to the following strengths: 1 g/50 mL; 2 g/50 mL; 500 mg; 1 g; 2 g; 10 g

Usual Adult Dose for:

Bacteremia
Cystitis
Epiglottitis
Gonococcal Infection - Disseminated
Gonococcal Infection - Uncomplicated
Intraabdominal Infection
Joint Infection
Meningitis
Osteomyelitis
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
Peritonitis
Pneumonia
Pyelonephritis
Skin or Soft Tissue Infection
Urinary Tract Infection

Usual Adult Dose for Bacteremia

1 to 4 g IV or IM every 8 to 12 hours for 14 days, depending on the nature and severity of the infection
Doses up to 12 g/day may be used for severe, life-threatening infections.

Usual Adult Dose for Cystitis

500 mg IV or IM every 12 hours for 3 to 7 days

Usual Adult Dose for Epiglottitis

1 to 4 g IV every 8 to 12 hours for 7 to 10 days, depending on the nature and severity of the infection
Doses up to 12 g/day may be used for severe, life-threatening infections.

Usual Adult Dose for Gonococcal Infection - Disseminated

1 g IV or IM every 8 hours

Parenteral therapy should continue for 24 hours after clinical improvement has been observed. Oral therapy with cefixime or cefpodoxime should then be continued to complete a total course of at least 1 week.

Doxycycline therapy for 7 days (if not pregnant) or single dose azithromycin is also recommended to treat possible concurrent chlamydial infection.

The patient's sexual partner(s) should also be evaluated/treated.

Usual Adult Dose for Gonococcal Infection - Uncomplicated

Uncomplicated infections of the cervix, urethra, or rectum: 500 mg IM once

Doxycycline therapy for 7 days (if not pregnant) or single dose azithromycin is also recommended to treat possible concurrent chlamydial infection.

The patient's sexual partner(s) should also be evaluated/treated.

This regimen is recommended as an alternative regimen by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Usual Adult Dose for Intraabdominal Infection

1 to 4 g IV or IM every 8 to 12 hours for 7 to 14 days, depending on the nature and severity of the infection
Doses up to 12 g/day may be used for severe, life-threatening infections.

Usual Adult Dose for Joint Infection

1 to 4 g IV or IM every 8 to 12 hours for 3 to 4 weeks, depending on the nature and severity of the infection
Longer therapy, up to 6 weeks, may be required in cases involving infected prosthetic joints. Doses up to 12 g/day may be used for severe, life-threatening infections.

Usual Adult Dose for Meningitis

1 to 3 g IV every 6 to 12 hours for 10 to 14 days, depending on the nature and severity of the infection
Doses up to 12 g/day may be used for severe, life-threatening infections.

Usual Adult Dose for Osteomyelitis

1 to 2 g IV or IM every 8 to 12 hours for 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the nature and severity of the infection
Doses up to 12 g/day may be used for severe, life-threatening infections.

Usual Adult Dose for Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

2 g IV every 8 hours to continue until 24 hours after clinical improvement is observed
At that point, appropriate oral antimicrobial therapy may be initiated and continued for a total of 14 days of therapy.

Alternatively, 1 g ceftizoxime IM administered on an outpatient basis, followed by oral doxycycline therapy with or without metronidazole, may be substituted.

Doxycycline therapy for 14 days (if not pregnant) is also recommended to treat possible concurrent chlamydial infection. Azithromycin is active against chlamydia and may be considered for pregnant patients.

The patient's sexual partner(s) should also be evaluated/treated.

Usual Adult Dose for Peritonitis

1 to 4 g IV or IM every 8 to 12 hours for 10 to 14 days, depending on the nature and severity of the infection
Doses up to 12 g/day may be used for severe, life-threatening infections.

Usual Adult Dose for Pneumonia

1 to 4 g IV or IM every 8 to 12 hours for 7 to 21 days, depending on the nature and severity of the infection
Doses up to 12 g/day may be used for severe, life-threatening infections.

Usual Adult Dose for Pyelonephritis

1 to 2 g IV or IM every 8 to 12 hours for 14 days

Usual Adult Dose for Skin or Soft Tissue Infection

1 to 2 g IV or IM every 8 to 12 hours for 7 to 10 days, or until 3 days after acute inflammation subsides, depending on the nature and severity of the infection
For more serious infections, such as diabetic soft tissue infections, 14 to 21 days of therapy may be required.

Usual Adult Dose for Urinary Tract Infection

1 to 2 g IV or IM every 8 to 12 hours

Renal Dose Adjustments

CrCl 50 to 79 mL/min:
Less severe infections: 500 mg to 1 g IV or IM every 8 hours
Life-threatening infections: 750 mg to 1.5 g IV every 8 hours

CrCl 5 to 49 mL/min:
Less severe infections: Loading dose of 500 mg to 1 g followed by 250 to 500 mg IV or IM every 12 hours
Life-threatening infections: 500 mg to 1 g IV every 12 hours

CrCl 0 to 4 mL/min:
Less severe infections: Loading dose of 500 mg to 1 g followed by 500 mg IV or IM every 48 hours or 250 mg IV or IM every 24 hours
Life-threatening infections: 500 mg to 1 g IV every 48 hours or 500 mg IV or IM every 24 hours

Liver Dose Adjustments

No adjustment recommended

Dialysis

In hemodialysis patients, no additional supplemental dosing is required following hemodialysis. Dosing should be timed so that the patient receives the dose at the end of the dialysis.