Ceftazidime
antibiotic · cephalosporin
Third-party optionBy the Layer Nutrition editorial team
What this medicine is for
Sur le plan pharmacologique, Ceftazidime se rattache à la catégorie « antibiotique (céphalosporine) ». Les antibiotiques traitent les infections dues à des bactéries. Ils se prennent en cure, sur une durée définie, jusqu'au bout de la prescription.
For Ceftazidime in practice: Treats a bacterial infection. It is used rather occasionally or as a short course, to get through an episode.
Under which brands it is found
Ceftazidime entre dans la composition d'environ 5 présentations recensées en France. On la trouve sous plusieurs noms de marque et en génériques.
- Ceftazidime Arrow
- Ceftazidime Viatris
- Ceftazidime Viatris Enfants Et Nourrissons
- Fortum
- Zavicefta
Original brand-name products and generics deliver the same active substance; the choice between them is made with your doctor or pharmacist.
On the plate: vitamin K
Cephalosporins such as ceftazidime can lower prothrombin activity, a clotting protein that depends on vitamin K. In people at risk, kidney or liver failure, fragile nutritional status, prolonged antimicrobial treatment, food helps keep intake of this vitamin steady.
Vitamin K is concentrated in leafy green vegetables: kale, spinach and broccoli are among the densest sources. Some is also found in vegetable oils, including olive oil. Serving a portion of these vegetables each day covers a good share of your needs.
A second form, vitamin K2, comes from fermented foods and certain animal products: cheese, plain yoghurt and eggs provide it. Combining these two registers, leafy greens on one side, fermented products on the other, keeps intake stable, in addition to your treatment.
How ceftazidime works
Ceftazidime belongs to the beta-lactam family, and more precisely to the third-generation cephalosporins. At the heart of its molecule, a beta-lactam ring binds to bacterial enzymes called penicillin-binding proteins, the PBPs. These enzymes normally carry out transpeptidation, the step that cross-links peptidoglycan, the rigid mesh that forms the bacterial wall. By blocking this reaction, ceftazidime prevents the bacterium from building and repairing its wall, which eventually gives way. The effect is bactericidal: the bacterium dies.
Among the third-generation cephalosporins, ceftazidime stands out for its activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a Gram-negative organism that is often difficult to treat. It also retains its efficacy in the presence of many beta-lactamases, the enzymes that some bacteria produce to destroy antibiotics. This stability explains its action across a wide range of Gram-negative bacteria.
Why it is prescribed
Ceftazidime treats infections caused by susceptible bacteria. It has no effect on viral infections such as the common cold or the flu, against which no antibiotic works. The doctor therefore reserves it for situations where a bacterial organism is suspected or identified, and where that organism falls within its spectrum.
Its main asset remains coverage of Gram-negative bacteria, particularly Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which many other antibiotics cannot control. Its resistance to many beta-lactamases makes it a useful option against organisms that inactivate older molecules. The choice rests on the type of infection and, when it is available, on the antibiogram.
How it is given
Ceftazidime is not taken by mouth. It is given intravenously, into a vein, or intramuscularly, into a muscle, usually every 8 or 12 hours. There is therefore no link with meals, and unless the doctor says otherwise, the patient keeps their usual diet during treatment. The decisive point is to follow the schedule to the end: ceftazidime should be continued until the prescription is finished, even if you feel better, because stopping too early or skipping doses may leave the infection incompletely treated and encourage bacterial resistance.
Pharmacologically, ceftazidime acts quickly and briefly: its plasma half-life is about 1.9 hours after intravenous administration, which justifies repeated injections during the day. It binds little to blood proteins, less than 10 percent, and therefore circulates largely in free form. The liver does not transform it: it is eliminated almost exclusively by the kidney, through glomerular filtration, and 80 to 90 percent of the dose is found unchanged in the urine within 24 hours. This renal elimination explains the attention given to kidney function.
The effects to know about
The effects reported in trials generally remain uncommon. At the injection site, phlebitis or inflammation affects about 1 patient in 69. On the skin and general condition, itching, a rash or fever occur in about 2 percent of patients. On the digestive side, diarrhoea concerns about 1 patient in 78 and nausea about 1 in 156. Persistent or severe diarrhoea should be reported without delay.
Abnormalities sometimes appear on blood tests: eosinophilia in about 1 patient in 13, a positive Coombs test without haemolysis in about 1 in 23, thrombocytosis in about 1 in 45, as well as transient rises in liver enzymes, AST, ALT, LDH, GGT and alkaline phosphatase. Like almost all antibiotics, ceftazidime can also cause Clostridioides difficile diarrhoea, sometimes up to two months after treatment is stopped: diarrhoea that occurs later should not be neglected.
The nutritional angle
Cephalosporins can lower prothrombin activity, a key clotting protein. Now this protein, like several clotting factors, depends on vitamin K to be active. The nutrition-type effect documented with ceftazidime therefore passes through this vitamin, by way of the clotting factors that need it.
This risk is not the same for everyone. Monitoring is recommended in the most exposed patients: kidney or liver failure, poor nutritional status, prolonged antimicrobial treatment. In them, a supply of vitamin K may be indicated. Food, rich in green vegetables and fermented foods, remains a simple way to maintain this intake day to day.
Interactions and monitoring
Several combinations call for caution. The risk of kidney toxicity increases when ceftazidime is combined with aminoglycosides or with potent diuretics such as furosemide. Chloramphenicol can oppose the action of beta-lactams, including ceftazidime. Finally, it can distort certain urine glucose tests based on copper reduction, Clinitest, Benedict's solution or Fehling's solution, by giving false positives: enzymatic glucose-oxidase tests are preferable.
Laboratory follow-up is organised mainly around the kidney. Renal function must be monitored and the dosage adjusted in case of renal failure, because an accumulation of the product exposes the patient to neurotoxicity: seizures, non-convulsive status epilepticus, encephalopathy, or even coma. This monitoring becomes all the more important when ceftazidime is combined with an aminoglycoside or a potent diuretic, situations that together weigh on the kidney.
Sources
Related molecules
To explore in the « Anti-infectives » family and its neighbours.
See the whole « Anti-infectives » family · Back to the atlas
Supplements to consider
Beyond the plate, a single isolated nutrient can be worth discussing, to confirm with your doctor or pharmacist. Here is which one and in which form.
Probiotics
Probiotics are live micro-organisms, mainly lactobacilli and bifidobacteria. The CFU count and the number of strains are among the selection criteria; gastro-resistant capsules protect the bacteria from stomach acidity.
Preferred form gastro-resistant capsules, several strains, CFU count stated
Frequently asked questions
What is ceftazidime used for and which class of antibiotics does it belong to?
Ceftazidime is an antibiotic in the third-generation cephalosporin class, used against severe bacterial infections, in particular those caused by Pseudomonas. Its precise indication is a matter for prescription. Refer to the medicine's public patient leaflet and to your doctor or pharmacist.
What are the side effects of ceftazidime?
The patient leaflet notably lists digestive disturbances such as diarrhoea or nausea, reactions at the injection site, skin rashes and candidiasis. This list is not exhaustive. Read the full leaflet and report any effect to your doctor or pharmacist.
How is ceftazidime administered?
Ceftazidime is given by injection, intravenously or intramuscularly, usually in a care setting. The specifics are a matter for the prescription and the patient leaflet. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist with any question about how it is administered.
Can you take ceftazidime during pregnancy or breastfeeding?
Use during pregnancy or breastfeeding must be assessed case by case by a healthcare professional, weighing the benefit against the risk. Do not make any decision on your own: consult the patient leaflet and your doctor or pharmacist.
Does ceftazidime interact with other medications?
Interactions are described in the patient leaflet, for example with certain other antibiotics such as aminoglycosides or with probenecid. Tell your doctor or pharmacist about all your current treatments and refer to the leaflet.
What can you do to support your gut flora during antibiotic treatment such as ceftazidime?
Antibiotics also act on the bacteria of the gut microbiota, which can translate into digestive disturbances. Systematic reviews, including Cochrane work, link the intake of certain probiotic strains to a lower frequency of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. The active ingredient to consider is a documented probiotic, in the form of identified strains such as Saccharomyces boulardii or Lactobacillus rhamnosus. Discuss it with your doctor or pharmacist to include it in your care.
Ces réponses portent sur le volet nutritionnel. Pour toute question sur votre médicament, la notice et votre médecin ou pharmacien font foi.