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Axef
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 03.07.2025

Aksef is an antiparasitic and antimicrobial drug.
ATC classification
Active ingredients
Pharmacological group
Pharmachologic effect
Indications Axepha
It is used to prevent or treat infectious lesions caused by bacteria that are sensitive to cefuroxime. Among such diseases are:
- lesions affecting the lower as well as the upper respiratory tract: pneumonia of bacterial origin, bronchitis or tracheitis of a chronic or acute nature, infected bronchiectasis, as well as the prevention and elimination of lesions arising as a result of surgical procedures in the sternum area;
- infections in the ENT system: sinusitis with tonsillitis, and in addition, otitis media of bacterial origin, and pharyngitis;
- pathologies affecting the urogenital system: cystitis, gonorrhea, inflammation in the pelvic organs, and also pyelonephritis (also chronic);
- diseases developing in the area of soft tissues and epidermis: furunculosis, wound infections, erysipelas, impetigo and dermatitis of bacterial origin;
- lesions in the area of bones and joints: osteomyelitis or septic arthritis;
- the medication can be used in the development of severe stages of nosocomial infections, including peritonitis, septicemia, bacteriuria with meningitis and bacteremia;
- prevention of the development of infections after surgical procedures.
Release form
The drug is released in tablets with a volume of 0.25 or 0.5 g, in the amount of 10 pieces inside a blister pack; 1 or 2 packages inside a pack.
In addition, it is produced as a lyophilisate for injection liquid, in 0.75 g vials; the box contains 1 such vial.
Pharmacodynamics
The active ingredient of the drug is cefuroxime, which has a bactericidal effect on a fairly wide range of bacteria. Cefuroxime is a β-lactam antibiotic and belongs to the cephalosporin category.
The drug belongs to the group of the second generation of cephalosporins and can be used for oral administration and parenteral injections. Cefuroxime has resistance to the influence of β-lactamases, which allows it to be successfully used for therapy of infections caused by the activity of bacteria producing β-lactamases. All cephalosporins have a similar principle of antimicrobial action. The drug blocks the activity of proteins that bind penicillins (they have enzymatic activity and are required for binding specific biopolymers).
At the same time, the drug slows down the binding of peptide glycan (a polymer element that is the basis of the cell walls of microbes). Aksef does not have a toxic effect on the macroorganism, because peptide glycan with penicillin-binding proteins is not contained inside the cell wall of mammals.
The drug demonstrates bactericidal activity against a wide range of anaerobes and aerobes, including strains resistant to amoxicillin and ampicillin.
Gram-positive aerobes:
Staphylococci (penicillinase-producing strains), pneumococci, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus equisimilis, Streptococcus anginosa, Streptococcus mitis, and Bordet-Gengou bacteria.
Gram-negative aerobes:
Proteus (excluding common Proteus), Providencia, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Meningococcus, Pfeiffer's bacillus, Salmonella, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Gonococcus (including penicillinase-producing strains).
Gram-negative and -positive anaerobes:
Clostridia, Fusobacterium, Peptococcus niger, Bacteroides (excluding Bacteroides fragilis), Peptostreptococcus species and Propionibacterium.
In addition, cefuroxime has a bactericidal effect against strains of Borrelia burgdorferi.
Does not show activity towards:
Campylobacter, enterococci with pseudomonas, serratia, legionella and citrobacter with enterobacter. In addition, the list includes listeria monocytogenes, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Morgan bacteria and clostridium difficile.
The drug also does not affect methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus.
Pharmacokinetics
The drug taken orally is well absorbed in the intestine, in the case of taking in the form of cefuroxime axetil, it undergoes a process of hydrolysis inside the intestinal wall and enters the bloodstream in the form of cefuroxime.
The degree of absorption of the drug will be higher if it is taken immediately after eating. Plasma values of Cmax are noted after 2-3 hours after taking the tablet orally. The half-life of cefuroxime is within 60-90 minutes.
With intravenous injection, plasma Cmax values are noted after 30-45 minutes. The half-life of the substance in this case is 60-70 minutes. The protein synthesis rates of the drug inside the plasma are 50%.
During the first 6 hours, most of the drug is excreted; after 24 hours from the moment of administration, a maximum of 10% of the used portion of the drug remains in the blood.
The drug is not subject to metabolic processes within the body, being excreted through the kidneys in an unchanged state.
At high concentrations of the drug, its active element is found in the intraocular fluid, as well as in the synovium. In people with meningitis, Aksef passes through the BBB.
Hemodialysis significantly reduces cefuroxime levels.
Dosing and administration
The dosage regimen and duration of the treatment cycle must be selected taking into account the individual nature of the pathology and the characteristics of the patient's body. Often, the therapeutic course lasts at least 1 week. Tablets should be taken after meals, because this enhances intestinal absorption of the drug.
Schemes for using the drug in tablet form.
In case of damage to the urinary tract, take 125 mg of the substance 2 times a day.
For the treatment of uncomplicated respiratory infections, 0.25 g of the drug should be used 2 times per day.
To eliminate severe infections in the respiratory tract, take 0.5 g of the substance 2 times a day.
In case of treatment of pyelonephritis (chronic or acute), 0.25 g of the medicine is used 2 times per day.
For therapeutic use in uncomplicated gonorrhea, a single application of 1000 mg of the substance is required.
For adolescents over 12 years of age and adults with tick-borne borreliosis, 0.5 g of the drug is often used 2 times a day. This disease requires a 20-day treatment cycle.
Children over 3 years of age should use 125 mg of the drug 2 times a day, and in severe stages of pathologies, the dose is doubled. A maximum of 0.5 g of the drug is allowed for children per day.
Sometimes it is necessary to start treatment with Aksef in the form of an injection liquid, and then continue it by taking tablets. This scheme is prescribed in the cases listed below.
In case of pneumonia, adults are given the medication intramuscularly or intravenously, in the amount of 1.5 mg, 2-3 times a day for 2-3 days. Then, the medication is prescribed to be taken orally - 0.5 g 2 times a day for 8-10 days.
In case of relapse of bronchitis (which is chronic), an adult requires parenteral administration of 0.75 g of the substance 2-3 times a day over a 2-3-day period. At the end of this period, the medicine is taken orally - 2 times a day in a portion of 0.5 g, over a 5-7-day cycle.
Schemes for the use of injection lyophilisate.
The injection liquid may only be used by the intramuscular or intravenous method.
For intramuscular injections, add a solvent (3 ml) to the vial with the powder, and then shake it gently to obtain a suspension. In this case, the solvent is injection water.
To prepare a liquid for intravenous injections, 0.75 g of the substance must be diluted in 6 ml of the solvent (for 1500 mg of the substance, 15 ml of such a solvent is required). For infusions of 1500 mg of cefuroxime, 50-100 ml of the solvent liquid are required. Injection water is used as a solvent in this case.
The medication must be administered via infusion over a period of at least half an hour. The injection fluid is administered directly into a vein or through a dropper tube.
For adults, the dose of the drug is 0.75-1.5 g, taken 2-3 times a day (administered intramuscularly or intravenously), taking into account the severity of the disease.
With stable development of positive dynamics of pathology symptoms, a transition to treatment using Aksef in tablets occurs.
To treat gonorrhea, a single injection of 1500 mg of the substance or a 2-time injection of 0.75 g of the drug (into each buttock) is required.
In case of meningitis, the drug should be used as a monotherapy, administered intravenously at 8-hour intervals in 3000 mg doses. For children with meningitis, the dosage should be 0.15-0.25 g/kg per day; it is divided into several separate injections, after which it is administered intravenously. For newborns, the daily dosage is 0.1 g/kg.
In case of infections, children should be given 30-100 mg/kg of the drug per day, dividing this dose into 3-4 administrations.
Newborns often require 30-100 mg/kg of the substance per day, dividing this dosage into 2-3 parts. When using cefuroxime in newborns, it should be remembered that its half-life is several times longer than that of an adult.
To prevent infection after surgical procedures, 1500 mg of the drug is often used intravenously (at the stage of induction of anesthesia). Such preventive measures are taken in case of operations in the sternum or peritoneum, and also in pelvic, and at the same time abdominal or orthopedic procedures.
For orthopedic or pelvic surgical manipulations, the medicine is used in a 0.75 g dose – 8 and 16 hours after the end of the procedure.
For operations in the peritoneum or sternum, the medication must be administered in doses of 0.75 g, 3 times a day over a 1-2-day cycle.
Individuals with renal impairment and those undergoing hemodialysis require dosage adjustments.
Use Axepha during pregnancy
The drug does not have a mutagenic, teratogenic or embryotoxic effect, but during pregnancy it is allowed to be used only in situations where it is considered that the benefit to the woman will be more expected than the risk of developing negative consequences for the fetus.
Cefuroxime can pass into breast milk, which is why, if there is a need for its use during lactation, breastfeeding is temporarily stopped.
Contraindications
It is contraindicated to use the drug in case of intolerance to the components of the drug or cephalosporins.
Caution is required when used in people with a history of severe hypersensitivity to β-lactam antibiotics. The drug should also be used with extreme caution in patients with renal dysfunction.
Side effects Axepha
The drug is often tolerated without complications, but with prolonged use or intolerance of the patient, urticaria, rashes and itching may develop. Anaphylaxis, fever and tubulointerstitial nephritis have been recorded only occasionally. Negative symptoms are often mild and disappear after discontinuation of the drug.
Single administration of the drug resulted in the development of erythema multiforme, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, or TEN.
Disorders affecting the gastrointestinal tract – vomiting, pseudomembranous colitis, nausea and diarrhea.
Disorders of the hematopoietic system – neutro-, leukopenia- or thrombocytopenia, and in addition, eosinophilia and decreased hemoglobin levels.
Although Aksef does not have a direct toxic effect on the liver, some patients experience hyperbilirubinemia or increased activity of liver enzymes.
People taking cefuroxime may experience changes in laboratory data, such as a false-positive Coombs test or an increase in blood urea nitrogen and creatinine.
Injections of the drug may cause local side effects. In the case of an intramuscular injection, pain occurs in the area of drug administration. In the case of an intravenous injection, thrombophlebitis develops.
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Overdose
When poisoned with Aksef, the patient develops tremors, a feeling of overexcitation and convulsions. These manifestations occur because cefuroxime has an irritating effect on the brain.
The drug has no antidote. In case of intoxication, symptomatic measures are taken. To reduce plasma levels of cefuroxime, peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis procedures can be performed.
Interactions with other drugs
Combined use with antacids reduces the absorption of cefuroxime (if the drug is used in tablet form).
Combined use with probenecid leads to an increase in blood levels of cefuroxime, as well as a slowdown in its renal excretion.
The drug can be combined with solutions of azlocillin or metronidazole, as well as with injection liquid of xylitol and 1% lidocaine solution. In addition, the properties of the drug do not change for 24 hours when combined with the following substances:
- sodium lactate 6M;
- isotonic liquid NaCl;
- 5% glucose;
- 0.18% NaCl together with 4% glucose;
- 5% glucose with 0.9%, 0.45%, and 0.25% NaCl;
- 10% glucose;
- Ringer's lactate or Ringer's;
- Hartman.
The medication must not be mixed in the same syringe with aminoglycosides.
Aksef should not be mixed with sodium bicarbonate injection solution, as such mixing causes a strong change in the shade of the cefuroxime solution.
Storage conditions
Aksef must be kept in a dark and dry place, at temperatures within 15-25 o C.
Shelf life
Aksef can be used within 24 months from the date of production of the therapeutic agent. The shelf life of the finished injection liquid is a maximum of 24 hours.
Analogues
The drug's analogues are Zinnat, Proxim with Zinacef, Cetyl with Cefutil and Axetin, and also Cefuroxime, Baktil and Cefumax.
Manufacturer
Attention!
To simplify the perception of information, this instruction for use of the drug "Axef" 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.