Enocef 250 mg Injection

Third-generation cephalosporin injection for serious bacterial infections:

• Pneumonia and other lower respiratory tract infections
• Meningitis
• Septicaemia (blood infection)
• Complicated urinary tract and kidney infections
• Typhoid (enteric) fever
• Intra-abdominal, bone, joint, skin and soft-tissue infections
• Gonorrhoea
• Prevention of infection around surgery

Given by IM or IV injection/infusion by a health professional.

Adults: 1–2 g once daily; up to 4 g daily in severe infections such as meningitis (in 1–2 doses).

Gonorrhoea: single 500 mg–1 g IM dose (as per current guidelines).

Surgical prophylaxis: 1–2 g once, 30–90 minutes before surgery.

Children: 50–80 mg/kg once daily (up to 100 mg/kg/day for meningitis), as prescribed.

• IM injection is often mixed with lidocaine to reduce pain — the lidocaine solution must never be given IV.

• Allergy to ceftriaxone or any cephalosporin; history of severe reaction to penicillins
• Newborns with jaundice (hyperbilirubinaemia), especially premature babies
• Newborns who need calcium-containing IV solutions (risk of fatal calcium–ceftriaxone deposits)

Common: diarrhoea, rash, pain or hardness at the injection site, raised liver enzymes, changes in blood counts (eosinophilia, low platelets).

Less common: nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, thrush.

Rare but serious: anaphylaxis, severe skin reactions, C. difficile colitis, gallbladder sludge (pseudolithiasis), kidney stones, haemolytic anaemia.

• Do not mix or give at the same time with calcium-containing IV fluids (e.g. Ringer's lactate) through the same line.
• Monitor blood counts during long treatment.
• Severe combined kidney and liver failure needs dose monitoring.
• Stop if severe diarrhoea develops.

Used in pregnancy when clearly needed. Small amounts pass into breast milk; breastfeeding can usually continue with monitoring of the baby.

• Calcium-containing IV solutions (precipitation — dangerous in newborns)
• Warfarin (increased bleeding risk)
• Aminoglycosides (kidney toxicity — give separately)

Managed in hospital; nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Not removed by dialysis.

Store the powder below 30°C, away from light. Use the reconstituted solution promptly (follow the leaflet for storage time).