Cefepime is indicated for the following infections-

• Abdominal infections
• Respiratory tract infections
• Skin and skin structure infections
• Urinary tract infections

Abdominal Infection

Respiratory infections

Skin Infection

UTI (Urinary Tract Infection)

• Adults
  • Mild to moderate infections: take 1-2 g twice a day in two divided doses.
  • Severe infections: up to 4 g daily, divided into two doses. Doses are administered via deep intramuscular injection or IV infusion for at least 30 minutes.
• Child:
  
  • Neonates: 30 mg/kg 12 hourly; for Pseudomonas infections, increase to 50 mg/kg; >30 days
  • Mild to moderate infections: 100 mg/kg each day, given into two doses.
  • Severe infections: Up to 150 mg/kg per day, divided into two or three doses. The total dose should not exceed the adult dosage recommendation.
• Dose adjustement:
  • To compensate for the reduced renal clearance rate, the cefepime dose should be modified. The initial dose of cefepime suggested for adult patients with mild to severe renal insufficiency should be the same as for those with normal renal function.

Common side effects associated with the use of cefepime are as follows-

• Anemia
• Eosinophilia
• Phlebitis at infusion site
• Diarrhea
• Pain at injection site
• Positive Coombs test

Anemia

Eosinophilia

Phlebitis

Pain at injection site

• Severe and occasionally deadly hypersensitivity responses have been documented with all beta-lactam antibacterial drugs.
• Patients with a history of asthma or allergy diathesis should use cefepime with caution.
• Cefepime dosage should be modified to compensate for the slower rate of renal elimination in patients with impaired renal function, such as reduced urine output due to renal insufficiency (creatinine clearance 50 mL/min) or other conditions that may affect renal function.
• Antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and colitis, including pseudomembranous colitis and Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea, have been linked to the use of practically all antibiotics, including cefepime, and symptoms can range from mild diarrhoea to deadly colitis.