Aztreonam (Systemic)
Brand Names : Azactam
Before Receiving This MedicineIn deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be
weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor
will make. For aztreonam, the following should be considered:
Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or
allergic reaction to aztreonam. Also tell your health care professional if
you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or
dyes.
Pregnancy - Studies have not been done in humans. However, aztreonam
has not been shown to cause birth defects or other problems in studies in
rabbits and rats given up to 15 times the highest human daily dose.
Breast-feeding - Aztreonam passes into the breast milk in small
amounts. However, this medicine is not absorbed when taken by mouth, and problems
have not been seen in nursing babies.
Children - Studies have been done in children and have shown
that aztreonam is effective in treating certain bacterial infections and that
side effects in children are similar to those experienced by adults. Elevations
of liver enzymes and reductions in white blood cell counts were seen in children
who were given high doses of this medicine or who had more serious infections.
Older adults - Aztreonam has been tested in a limited number of
patients 65 years of age or older and has not been shown to cause different
side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults.
Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used
together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together
even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to
change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your health care
professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter
[OTC]) medicine.
Other medical problems - The presence of other medical
problems may affect the use of aztreonam. Make sure you tell your doctor if
you have any other medical problems, especially:
-
Liver disease - Patients receiving high doses of aztreonam for
a long time, who also have severe liver disease, may have an increased chance
of side effects
-
Kidney disease - Patients with kidney disease may have an increased
chance of side effects
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