Azactam

A·zac·tam (-zktm)

A trademark for the drug aztreonam.

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aztreonam

Azactam

Pharmacologic class: Monobactam

Therapeutic class: Anti-infective

Pregnancy risk category B

Action

Inhibits bacterial cell-wall synthesis during active multiplication by binding with penicillin-binding protein 3, resulting in cell-wall destruction

Availability

Powder for injection: 500-mg vial, 1-g vial, 2-g vial, 1 g/50-ml I.V. bag, 2 g/50-ml I.V. bag

⊘Indications and dosages

➣ Infections caused by susceptible gram-negative organisms

Adults: For urinary tract infections, 500 mg or 1 g I.M. or I.V. q 8 or 12 hours; for moderately severe systemic infections, 1 or 2 g I.M. or I.V. q 8 or 12 hours; for severe or life-threatening infections, 2 g I.M. or I.V. q 6 or 8 hours. Maximum dosage is 8 g/day.

Children: For mild to moderate infections, 30 mg/kg I.M. or I.V. q 8 hours; for moderate to severe infections, 30 mg/kg I.M. or I.V. q 6 or 8 hours. Maximum dosage is 120 mg/kg/day.

Dosage adjustment

• Severe renal failure

Contraindications

• Hypersensitivity to drug or its components

Precautions

Use cautiously in:
• renal or hepatic impairment
• elderly patients
• pregnant or breastfeeding patients.

Administration

• Flush I.V. tubing with compatible solution before and after giving drug.
• Compatible solutions include 0.9% sodium chloride injection, 5% or 10% dextrose injection, Ringer's or lactated Ringer's injection, 5% dextrose and 0.9% sodium chloride injection, and 5% dextrose and 0.45% sodium chloride injection.
• After adding diluent to vial or infusion bottle, shake immediately and vigorously.
• For I.V. bolus injection, reconstitute powder for injection by adding 6 to 10 ml of sterile water for injection. Inject prescribed dosage into tubing of compatible I.V. solution slowly over 3 to 5 minutes.
• For intermittent I.V. infusion, reconstitute powder for injection by adding compatible I.V. solution to yield a concentration not exceeding 20 mg/ml. Administer prescribed dosage over 20 to 60 minutes.
☞ Thaw commercially available frozen drug at room temperature and give by intermittent I.V. infusion only.
• For I.M. injection, reconstitute powder for injection by adding 3 ml of sterile water for injection or 0.9% sodium chloride injection.
• Give I.M. injection deep into large muscle mass.

Route	Onset	Peak	Duration
I.V., I.M.	Organism & dose dependent	1 hr	4-12 hr

Adverse reactions

CV: phlebitis, thrombophlebitis

GI: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea (including diarrhea associated with Clostridium difficile), pseudomembranous colitis

Hematologic: neutropenia

Respiratory: bronchospasm

Skin: rash, toxic epidermal necrolysis

Other: angioedema, anaphylaxis

Interactions

Drug-diagnostic tests. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatinine, eosinophils, platelets, prothrombin time (PT), partial thromboplastin time (PTT): increased values

Coombs' test: positive result

Neutrophils: decreased count

Patient monitoring

☞ Assess patient closely for signs and symptoms of pseudomembranous colitis.
☞ Monitor patient carefully for hypersensitivity reaction, especially if he's allergic to penicillin, carbapenems, or cephalosporins.
• Monitor CBC with differential, AST, ALT, PT, PTT, and serum creatinine values.
• Monitor renal and hepatic function.

Patient teaching

☞ Instruct patient to immediately report severe diarrhea or signs or symptoms of hypersensitivity reaction, such as rash or difficulty breathing.
• Tell female patient to notify prescriber if she is pregnant or breastfeeding.
• As appropriate, review all other significant and life-threatening adverse reactions and interactions, especially those related to the tests mentioned above.