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Health

Antibiotics for pneumonia

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Treatment of any form of pneumonia is almost impossible without the appointment of antibiotics. Thanks to the fact that today you can see a fairly wide range of this type of drug, doctors can choose the right medicine for each individual case. But antibiotics for inflammation of the lungs sometimes bring a negative effect on the body, especially if it is wrong to take them.

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Indications for use of antibiotics for pneumonia

To cure pneumonia, doctors often prescribe antibiotics with an antimicrobial effect. But it is worth noting that the use of such drugs should be under the supervision of a specialist. It is also necessary to remember some important rules for the use of antibiotics. Firstly, if you have already started a course, you must necessarily finish it. It is important to observe exactly the dose that the doctor prescribed for you. Indications for the use of antibiotics for inflammation of the lungs completely depend on the severity of the disease, as well as on what kind of microbes or bacteria caused it. Today, antibiotics with a wide spectrum of action are very popular. They can be divided into these types:

  1. Penicillin: oxacillin, penicillin, augmentin, ampicillin, amoxicillin).
  2. Cephalosporin type: cefexim, cephalexin, cephilim.
  3. Macrolide: clarithromycin, erythromycin.
  4. Aminoklikozid: azithromycin, kanamycin, gentamicin.
  5. Tetracycline: minocycline, doxycycline, tetracycline.
  6. Fluoroquinol: ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin.

Only after the cause of infection has been established, a specialist can prescribe a course of treatment.

Form of issue

The form of release of antibiotics for pneumonia can be completely different. To date, produce antibiotics in the form of powder, tablets, capsules, solutions for injection. Depending on the severity of pneumonia, as well as what caused this inflammation, prescribe different medications. The most popular in recent years are injection solutions, which are not very pleasing to the patients themselves. The latter can be explained by the fact that courses of antibiotic treatment are usually seven days. Powders are quickly absorbed by the body, therefore within the first 24 hours after admission the patient can feel considerable relief, but do not interrupt treatment or reduce the dose of powder prescribed by the doctor. Tablets and capsules do not have such a rapid action as solutions and powders. They are prescribed for mild stages of pneumonia, when the patient is treated at home.

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Pharmacodynamics

Antibiotics for pneumonia are various drugs that are prescribed in a variety of cases. Pharmacodynamics them can differ from each other. We decided to show you the basic properties of preparations of this kind on the example of the popular antibiotic "Ceftriaxone".

This drug belongs to the semi-synthetic antibiotic cephalosporins from the third generation. Due to its chemical structure, it is highly effective against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The antibiotic quickly inhibits the synthesis of membranes in cells.

Pharmacokinetics

The pharmacokinetics of different antibiotics, which are used for inflammation of the lungs, can be completely different. Therefore, we consider it using the example of the popular preparation "Ceftriaxone".

This antibiotic is injected intramuscularly rather quickly after absorption by the body. The largest amount in the blood plasma is seen after 90 minutes after administration. Half-excreted from the body after eight hours. This period increases in infants and reaches the day. During the next 24 hours, the blood retains a high bactericidal concentration of the drug. Very quickly and without problems penetrates into the tissues, in small amounts is visible on the mucous membranes. Two days after the injection, partially (50%) is excreted along with the urine.

Names of antibiotics for pneumonia

Here everything depends on the degree of pneumonia. When hospitalized with pneumonia, when a patient simply has to stay in the hospital under the supervision of doctors, the following antibiotics are usually prescribed.

Amoxicillin. Antibiotic with antibacterial effect, which is a semi-synthetic penicillin. It is indicated for use in severe pneumonia. Due to its high acid resistance, it is absorbed in the intestines quite quickly and without consequences. Before you prescribe the drug, the doctor must find out if a person is sensitive to it. A special analysis is carried out for this purpose. The dose is usually set individually and depends on many factors. Assign to adults and children after ten years. Among the main side effects is possible to identify possible allergic reactions (mainly urticaria), rhinitis, Quincke's edema, fever, conjunctivitis. The drug is contraindicated in patients with erythema, infectious mononucleosis. Also not recommended for pregnant women.

Ticarcillin. This antibiotic is also a semi-synthetic penicillin. Has an antibacterial effect against a large number of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The drug is not recommended during pregnancy, as well as those who have impaired renal function. An antibiotic is usually sold in the form of a solution for injection. The course of treatment depends on the patient. Among the side effects are the following: hypokalemia, vomiting with nausea, diarrhea, allergic reactions to the skin. During the introduction of the drug into the body feels burning, pain, and redness may appear.

If the original scheme did not bring the expected results, use such antibiotics for pneumonia.

Cefepime. It is a highly effective antibacterial agent. Helps cure pneumonia, which was caused by gram-positive, gram-negative bacteria, as well as those that already have resistance to third-generation drugs. Very quickly enters the affected cell. Effective fights with many infectious diseases. It is usually released as a solution for injection and is administered intravenously or intramuscularly (depending on the individual situation). The main feature of the drug is the fact that it can be prescribed to young children and even infants from two months. The course of treatment is usually seven to ten days. There were practically no side effects from the drug, as it is well tolerated. Do not prescribe to patients with allergic reactions to the main substances of the antibiotic.

With community-acquired pneumonia, when the patient can be treated at home, such antibiotics are prescribed.

Azithromycin. The drug has a wide spectrum of action. As a rule, it is prescribed to patients for non-severe forms of pneumonia. Before the doctor prescribes an antibiotic for you, you need to analyze the sensitivity of your body. It is taken on an empty stomach (it is possible before meals or two hours after eating). Produced in the form of tablets. The drug can be given to children with a body weight of at least 10 kg. Among the main side effects, it is worth highlighting possible diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, allergic rashes. The drug should not be taken during pregnancy and during lactation. Be wary appoint patients with malfunctioning kidneys.

Clarithromycin. Quite a strong antibacterial drug. Usually it is prescribed in order to cure the various infectious processes that were caused by bacteria. Produced in the form of tablets, which can be taken regardless of the use of food. It is very important to go through the entire course of treatment prescribed by the doctor to the end. Usually the duration of treatment depends on the severity of the disease and is 4-12 days. Among the main side effects are: skin rashes allergic type, stomatitis, nausea and vomiting, glossitis, changes in taste, dizziness, headache, insomnia, tachycardia, hypoglycemia. Do not take children under 12 years old, as well as those who may have allergies to the drug.

Antibiotics for pneumonia in tablets

Among the main antibiotics for pneumonia in tablets is:

  1. Ciprofloxacin. Antibiotic in the form of tablets, which acts on a fairly wide range of different bacteria. It is often prescribed for pneumonia. Quickly absorbed if taken on an empty stomach. The standard course of treatment is five to fifteen days, depending on the severity of the disease. The antibiotic is well tolerated. In some cases, allergic reactions, abdominal pain, swelling of the face, voice change, nausea, and lack of appetite are possible. The drug is contraindicated in patients with epilepsy, during pregnancy and lactation, in childhood.
  2. Doxycycline. Antibacterial drug, which refers to semisynthetic tetracyclines. It has a wide spectrum of action. Used to treat infections that were caused by those bacteria that are sensitive to the components of the drug. Produced in the form of tablets or capsules, which must be drunk after eating. It is very important to drink the product with plenty of liquid. Usually the course of taking the drug lasts up to fourteen days. After taking the antibiotic in some patients, nausea, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, allergies, swelling, and itching were seen. The drug should not be taken in the second half of pregnancy, with breastfeeding. It is forbidden to appoint children under the age of nine, patients with leukopenia, liver failure and porphyria.

Antibiotics for pneumonia in the form of injections

Among the main antibiotics in the form of injections, which are used to treat pneumonia, we can distinguish:

  1. Benzylpenicillin. An antibiotic, which is often prescribed for pneumonia. Has a wide range of effects on most bacteria that can cause pneumonia. Usually it is prescribed for severe disease. It is produced in the form of a powder, by means of which a solution for injections is made. During pregnancy, it is prescribed only if the life of the mother is threatened by a severe form of pneumonia. Among the side effects are allergic reactions, eosinophilia, rashes, swelling, vomiting and nausea, headache. The course of treatment is strictly individual.
  2. Ceftriaxone. The antibiotic is available in the form of a powder, which is used to prepare a solution for injections. It is usually administered intramuscularly, after which it is very well absorbed. Sometimes in individual cases, injected intravenously. Side effects are not always evident, as the drug is very well tolerated by patients. In some cases, there may be vomiting, nausea, headache, or diarrhea. Allergic skin reactions also appear. The course of admission is prescribed depending on the severity of the disease. Sometimes candidiasis can develop. The drug should not be taken during pregnancy or with liver failure.

Antibiotics for pneumonia in adults

The basis of any treatment of pneumonia is the appointment of antibiotics. Antibiotics for pneumonia in adults is treated, approximately, seven to ten days. It is very important to take exactly the amount of medicine that the doctor prescribed for you. The duration of the course usually depends on many factors: the form of the disease, how weak the immune system is in the patient, what its general condition is. Typically, in order to cure pneumonia in adults, the following treatment regimen is used:

  1. At first, antibiotics are prescribed, which have a fairly large range of action on different bacteria (ceftriaxone or suprax). Until the time when the exact causative agent of infection is detected, it is very important that a small amount of these antibacterial drugs is constantly present in the body. In accordance with this, an individual course is selected.
  2. If the patient has symptoms similar to the so-called atypical infections, you should immediately write out special antibiotics (clarithromycin, sumamed). At the same time, drugs that were prescribed earlier should not be refused.
  3. To achieve an effective result, whole combinations of different drugs are often prescribed. The most popular recently are: sumamed and suprax, ceftriaxone and clarithromycin (or vice versa).
  4. Sometimes the inflammation begins to progress, moving to other segments of the lungs. In this case, the best option would be such combinations: amikacin and ceftriaxone or augmentin with suprax.
  5. At the same time, adults are prescribed antibiotics that help to bring out sputum faster, eliminate alveolar inflammation (eg, ambroxol).
  6. If pneumonia is accompanied by fever, antipyretic agents should also be used.

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Antibiotics for pneumonia in children

Bacterial pneumonia in children requires mandatory use of antibiotics. Before the results of tests for the types of bacteria that caused the disease are used, antibiotics of a wider scope (sumamed, augmentin, cefazolinum, ceftriaxone) are used. In addition, it is important to determine the clinical type of the disease in order to prescribe another drug, depending on it (immunal or ferocious). Before prescribing drugs, you need to make sure that the child does not have allergies to their ingredients. Antibiotics for pneumonia in children are taken no more than ten days. Even if wheezing and fever have disappeared, it is necessary to continue taking medications for another two to three days.

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Methods and dosages of antibiotics for pneumonia

Usually, the methods of administration and doses of antibiotics for pneumonia are prescribed individually, depending on the patient's condition, the severity of the disease and the attendant symptoms. Sometimes the course can last even up to 15 days. But, remember, if you did not see improvement in the state after three to four for after the beginning of the admission, it is better to change the course of treatment.

Use of antibiotics for pneumonia during pregnancy

Despite the fact that this is a rather serious disease, with the proper selection of antibiotics and other drugs, pneumonia is treated quickly and without complications during pregnancy. It is very important to remember that not all antibiotics can be safely used by future mothers. Of course, light drugs that treat the first stages of the disease do not harm pregnant women. They usually do not even have side effects. In severe pneumonia, antibiotics can be prescribed only when there is a risk to the life of the mother.

Contraindications for use

Some types of antibiotics that are used to treat pneumonia may have contraindications to the use. That is why it is very important to talk about this with your doctor before he appoints a course. Typically, antibiotics for inflammation of the lung have such contraindications as: an allergic reaction to the components of the drug, renal or hepatic insufficiency, a child's age, pregnancy. More specific information can always be read in the leaflet.

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Side effects

Some antibiotics do not have serious side effects. Sometimes patients report skin rashes, facial puffiness, headache, dizziness, panic attacks, insomnia, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. If you feel yourself in one of the above, you should immediately stop taking antibiotics and go to your doctor to change the course of treatment.

Overdose

Since the course of taking antibiotics for pneumonia is prescribed strictly by a doctor, an overdose is practically not possible. Do not try to increase or decrease the dose, this can lead to serious consequences.

Interactions with other drugs

Most antibiotics for pneumonia are prescribed in combination with other drugs (antipyretic, relieving inflammation, from sputum). Therefore, we can say that they interact well with other means.

Storage conditions

The storage conditions for antibiotics depend on the form in which they are manufactured. Usually injectable solutions and powders are used in a shorter time. Also it is worth remembering that an open drug with a solution can not be reused, even if there is a drug left there. For more information, see the instructions that always come with the product.

Shelf life

First of all, it is worthwhile to understand that the use of antibiotics with expired shelf life is unacceptable. This can lead to serious consequences. Overdue drugs most often cause side effects. No doctor can accurately predict how exactly this drug will behave in the body. That's why always check the expiration date of antibiotics, which are usually written on the drug package.

The best antibiotic for pneumonia

It is difficult to say that a single drug is better than the rest for the treatment of pneumonia. But recently the following antibiotics have proved successful: tawanik, avelox, loxof. Usually they are taken one tablet once a day. It is best to combine antibiotics with other drugs (for example, with augmentin or amoxiclav). Within ten to fourteen days with this course of treatment, you can completely overcome pneumonia. In the event that even on the fourth day of antibiotics you do not see an improvement in your condition, and the body temperature keeps at a high level, you should consult your doctor. In such cases, azitro-sandoz or sumamed is often prescribed instead of augmentin.

Attention!

To simplify the perception of information, this instruction for use of the drug "Antibiotics for pneumonia" translated and presented in a special form on the basis of the official instructions for medical use of the drug. Before use read the annotation that came directly to medicines.

Description provided for informational purposes and is not a guide to self-healing. The need for this drug, the purpose of the treatment regimen, methods and dose of the drug is determined solely by the attending physician. Self-medication is dangerous for your health.

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