Ceftriaxone Sodium: Comprehensive Profile

Abstract

Publisher Summary The chapter presents a comprehensive profile of ceftriaxone sodium. Ceftriaxone belongs to a group of antibiotics known as the cephalosporins, which are closely related to penicillin. The chapter describes the nomenclature, formulae, elementary analysis, and appearance of ceftriaxone sodium. The main therapeutic advantages of Ceftriaxone include its once-daily dosing schedule, its usefulness in the treatment of bacterial meningitis and gonorrhea caused by susceptible organisms, and its use in the outpatient setting. Indeed, patients can be given Ceftriaxone at home with once-daily intravenous dosing of the antibiotic. Ceftriaxone is synthesized by using 7-amino-cephalosporanic acid (7-ACA) as the starting material. The synthetic method is illustrated in the chapter. Physical properties are described in the chapter, including ionization constants, partition coefficient, solubility characteristics, optical activity, X-ray powder diffraction, thermal methods of analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The chapter discusses the methods of analysis of ceftriaxone sodium, such as spectrophotometric analysis, chromatographic methods of analysis, and biological methods. A number of parenteral formulations of Ceftriaxone sodium are available, and the defining properties of these are summarized in the chapter. The pharmacokinetics of Ceftriaxone dosing has been extensively characterized following intravenous, intramuscular, intraperitoneal, and subcutaneous administration of single and multiple daily doses in both healthy patients and those with bacterial disease. Pharmacokinetic parameters have also been studied in children with various bacterial infections, and in patients with impaired renal or hepatic function. The toxic effects of Ceftriaxone are outlined in the chapter.