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Ceftriaxone

Key points about ceftriaxone

Ceftriaxone is an antibiotic used to treat different infections caused by bacteria.
Ceftriaxone is commonly called Rocephin® or Veracol®.
Find out how it is given and possible side effects.

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Ceftriaxone is an antibiotic that is given by injection to treat different infections caused by bacteria. It works by killing or stopping the growth of bacteria (bugs) and gets rid of the infection.

Ceftriaxone may also be given around the time of surgical operations to help prevent infection from happening afterwards. Ceftriaxone injection can be given in your vein or muscle.

Like all antibiotics, ceftriaxone is not effective against infections caused by viruses.

The dose of ceftriaxone will be different for different people depending on the type of infection, how bad your infection is and the type of bacteria causing the infection.
Your doctor will also decide how long you need to have ceftriaxone injections for.
For some infections, a single injection is adequate while other infections may need repeated injections for a few days.

A doctor or a nurse will usually give you this medicine.
Ceftriaxone may be injected into your vein, as a slow injection over 2 to 4 minutes or by a continuous infusion over a longer time. Your doctor or nurse may call this an “IV” or “intravenous infusion” or “drip”.
Sometimes, your doctor or nurse will give you ceftriaxone by injecting it into the large muscles in your leg or bottom. This is called an intramuscular injection. You may also receive a local anaesthetic in this case.
If you are giving ceftriaxone to yourself at home, it may already be prepared by the Hospital Pharmacy or will be prepared by a District Nurse. The injection is either contained in a bag and is designed to drip slowly into your catheter (this is called an infusion) or injected slowly with a syringe. This should be administered exactly as you have been instructed at the hospital or clinic. The infusion should be given over at least 30 minutes. The syringe should be given over 2 to 4 minutes.

Like all medicines, ceftriaxone can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them. Often side effects improve as your body gets used to the new medicine.

Side effects	What should I do?
Pain, redness, swelling or soreness at the injection site Feeling sick, (nausea)	Tell your doctor if these bother you.
Tiredness, yellow skin or eyes, stomach pain	Tell your doctor or ring Healthline 0800 611 116.
Diarrhoea (runny poos) Headache	This should settle after a few days Tell your doctor if ongoing and these bother you.
Signs of an allergic reaction such as skin rash, itching, swelling of the lips, face, and mouth or difficulty breathing	Tell your doctor immediately or ring Healthline 0800 611 116.