cefazolin (injection)

What is the most important information I should know about cefazolin?

Tell your doctor if you use other medicines or have other medical conditions or allergies.

What is cefazolin?

Cefazolin is an antibiotic that is used in adults and children at least 1 month old to treat bacterial infections of the lungs, bone and joints, urinary tract, skin, genitals, and gallbladder, including those that are severe or life-threatening such as heart or blood bacterial infections.

Cefazolin is sometimes given before and after surgery to prevent infections in adults and children at least 10 years old.

Cefazolin may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before receiving cefazolin?

• cefuroxime, cefdinir, cefepime, ceftriaxone, cephalexin, and others;
• amoxicillin (Amoxil, Augmentin), ampicillin, penicillin, and others; or
• meropenem, imipenem and cilastatin, ertapenem, and others.

You may not be able to use cefazolin if you have:

• diabetes;
• an allergy to dextrose-containing products; or
• an allergy to corn.

Tell your doctor if you have ever had:

• seizures;
• bleeding problems; or
• liver or kidney disease.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

How is cefazolin given?

Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Use the medicine exactly as directed.

Cefazolin is injected into a vein or into a muscle. A healthcare provider will give you this injection.

You may keep receiving this medicine even if your symptoms quickly improve. Skipping doses could make your infection resistant to medication. Cefazolin will not treat a viral infection (flu or a common cold).

Antibiotic medicines can cause diarrhea. Tell your doctor if you have diarrhea that is watery or bloody.

This medicine can affect the results of certain medical tests. Tell any doctor who treats you that you are using cefazolin.

Follow all storage instructions provided with cefazolin. Your pharmacist can provide more information about how to store this medicine.

What happens if I miss a dose?

What happens if I overdose?

An overdose can cause a seizure.

What should I avoid while receiving cefazolin?

Follow your doctor's instructions about any restrictions on food, beverages, or activity.

What are the possible side effects of cefazolin?

Some side effects may occur during the injection. Tell your medical caregivers if you feel dizzy, nauseated, light-headed, itchy, sweaty, or have a headache, chest tightness, back pain, trouble breathing, or swelling in your face.

• severe stomach pain, diarrhea that is watery or bloody (even if it occurs months after your last dose);
• a seizure;
• liver problems --upper stomach pain, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); or
• low blood cell counts --fever, chills, tiredness, mouth sores, skin sores, easy bruising, unusual bleeding, pale skin, cold hands and feet, feeling light-headed or short of breath.

Common side effects may include:

• nausea, vomiting, diarrhea;
• headache;
• rash, itching;
• an allergic reaction; or
• pain, bruising, swelling, or irritation where the medicine was injected.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect cefazolin?

Tell your doctor about all your other medicines, especially probenecid.

This list is not complete and many other drugs may affect cefazolin. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible drug interactions are listed here.

Where can I get more information?

Your doctor or pharmacist can provide more information about cefazolin.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Copyright 1996-2023 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 6.01. Revision date: 6/14/2023.