page_title: Cefotaxime
section_title: Medical uses
hierarchical_section_title: Cefotaxime / Medical uses
caption_attribution_description: English: Antibiotic used to treat infections such as salmonella 2013Español: Antibiotico usada para tratar infecciones como salmonella 2013
context_page_description: Cefotaxime is an antibiotic used to treat a number of bacterial infections. Specifically it is used to treat joint infections, pelvic inflammatory disease, meningitis, pneumonia, urinary tract infections, sepsis, gonorrhea, and cellulitis. It is given either by injection into a vein or muscle.
  Common side effects include nausea, allergic reactions, and inflammation at the site of injection. Another side effect may include Clostridium difficile diarrhea. It is not recommended in people who have had previous anaphylaxis to a penicillin. It is relatively safe for use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. It is in the third-generation cephalosporin family of medications and works by interfering with the bacteria's cell wall.
  Cefotaxime was discovered in 1976, and came into commercial use in 1980. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. It is available as a generic medication.
context_section_description: It is a broad-spectrum antibiotic with activity against numerous gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.
  Given its broad spectrum of activity, cefotaxime is used for a variety of infections, including:
  Lower respiratory tract infections - e.g. pneumonia (most commonly caused by S. pneumoniae)
  Genitourinary system infections - urinary tract infections (e.g. E. coli, S. epidermidis, P. mirabilis) and cervical/urethral gonorrhea
  Gynecologic infections - e.g. pelvic inflammatory disease, endometritis, and pelvic cellulitis
  Sepsis - secondary to Streptococcus spp., S. aureus, E. coli, and Klebsiella spp.
  Intra-abdominal infections - e.g. peritonitis
  Bone and joint infections - S. aureus, Streptococcus spp.
  CNS infections - e.g. meningitis/ventriculitis secondary to N. meningitidis, H. influenzae, S. pneumoniae
  Although cefotaxime has demonstrated efficacy in these infections, it is not necessarily considered to be the first-line agent.  In meningitis, cefotaxime crosses the blood–brain barrier better than cefuroxime.
caption: Vial of cefotaxime
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