Ceftazidime Injection
Ceftazidime injection is a broad-spectrum antibiotic used to treat serious bacterial infections including pneumonia, urinary tract infections, septicemia (bloodstream infections), meningitis, skin infections, and more.
🧬 Where this information comes from Click to expand
The clinical label records used on this page are FDA-filed Structured Product Labeling (SPL) retrieved through openFDA. We identified 7 clinical label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, strengths, and NDC product-record counts are built separately from matching FDA National Drug Code Directory records. The linked DailyMed document is a representative official source for verification, not the page’s only clinical source. View the linked label on DailyMed →
⚠️ FDA Boxed Warning — the FDA’s strongest safety alert ▾
The pharmacy bulk packaging of ceftazidime is not meant to be given directly as an infusion. This packaging is intended for a pharmacy to prepare individual doses — it must be further prepared before being administered to a patient. It is not for direct IV drip use straight from the bulk container. Healthcare professionals handle this step, but it is noted so patients understand why preparation time is needed.
📖 Ceftazidime Injection: Patient Information Guide
A plain-language walkthrough of Ceftazidime Injection — what it treats, how it works, how it’s taken, side effects, warnings and interactions. Tap any section to expand it.
🎯What it's used for▾
Ceftazidime injection is a broad-spectrum antibiotic used to treat a wide range of serious bacterial infections. The following conditions are supported by the FDA-approved labeling for Tazicef (ceftazidime for injection, USP):
- Lower respiratory tract infections, including pneumonia, caused by susceptible bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Haemophilus influenzae, Klebsiella spp., E. coli, and others
- Urinary tract infections (both simple and complicated) caused by susceptible organisms
- Skin and skin-structure infections caused by a range of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria
- Bacterial septicemia (bloodstream infection) caused by susceptible bacteria
- Bone and joint infections caused by susceptible organisms
- Gynecologic infections, including endometritis and pelvic cellulitis, caused by E. coli
- Intra-abdominal infections, including peritonitis, caused by susceptible organisms
- Central nervous system infections, including meningitis, caused by Haemophilus influenzae and Neisseria meningitidis; also used in limited cases of meningitis due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus pneumoniae
- Tazicef may be used alone for confirmed or suspected sepsis, or alongside other antibiotics (such as aminoglycosides, vancomycin, or clindamycin) in severe, life-threatening infections or in immunocompromised patients
⚙️How it works▾
Ceftazidime is a bactericidal antibiotic — meaning it kills bacteria rather than just slowing their growth. It works by blocking the enzymes bacteria use to build their outer cell walls. Without a stable wall, bacterial cells can't survive and fall apart. Ceftazidime also retains some activity even when bacteria produce enzymes called beta-lactamases, which many bacteria use to break down and resist antibiotics.
Resistance to ceftazidime can develop through several mechanisms, including bacterial enzymes that break it down, changes to the proteins ceftazidime normally targets (called penicillin-binding proteins), or changes that reduce how much of the drug gets inside the bacterial cell. In laboratory studies, the antibiotic chloramphenicol has been shown to work against ceftazidime's effect — which is why that combination is avoided in clinical practice.
💊How it's taken▾
Ceftazidime injection is given by a healthcare professional either directly into a vein (intravenously) or into a muscle (intramuscularly). The typical adult schedule is every 8 to 12 hours, but the exact frequency depends on the type and severity of infection and how well your kidneys are working. Patients with reduced kidney function need a lower or less frequent dose to prevent the drug from building up to unsafe levels.
- Intravenous (IV) doses are given by infusion into a vein — often over 20 to 30 minutes
- Intramuscular (IM) doses are injected into a muscle for less severe infections
- More serious infections (such as meningitis, sepsis, or infections in immunocompromised patients) are generally treated with IV administration only
- Your prescriber will set the right dose and schedule — do not adjust it on your own
🤒Side effects — in detail▾
Most people tolerate ceftazidime well, and serious side effects are uncommon. The most frequently reported effects include:
- Redness, swelling, or phlebitis (vein irritation) at the IV injection site
- Skin rash or itching
- Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain
- Headache or dizziness
- Oral thrush or vaginal yeast infection (candidiasis)
- Temporary increases in liver enzymes or changes in blood cell counts on lab tests
- Fever
Serious reactions requiring immediate attention include severe allergic reactions (including anaphylaxis with throat swelling or difficulty breathing), a severe gut infection called C. difficile-associated diarrhea (especially with bloody or persistent diarrhea), and neurological symptoms such as seizures or confusion — particularly in patients with kidney problems.
⚠️Warnings & precautions▾
- Severe allergic reactions: Anaphylaxis and serious hypersensitivity reactions have been reported. People with a known allergy to penicillin may also react to ceftazidime in up to 10% of cases. Emergency treatment may be needed.
- C. difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD): Ceftazidime, like most antibiotics, can disrupt normal gut bacteria and allow C. difficile to overgrow, causing diarrhea that ranges from mild to life-threatening colitis. This can appear during treatment or up to two months after finishing it.
- Neurological effects in kidney impairment: If ceftazidime builds up due to poor kidney function, it can cause seizures, encephalopathy (brain dysfunction), coma, and abnormal muscle movements. Dose adjustment is essential in these patients.
- Kidney and nervous system monitoring: Kidney function should be checked regularly, especially when ceftazidime is used alongside aminoglycoside antibiotics or diuretics like furosemide.
🔀What it interacts with▾
Tell your care team about all medications you are taking. Key interactions to be aware of include:
- Aminoglycoside antibiotics (e.g., gentamicin, tobramycin): when used together, the risk of kidney damage increases; kidney function needs close monitoring
- Furosemide and other potent diuretics: may add to the risk of kidney damage when combined with ceftazidime
- Chloramphenicol: laboratory evidence shows this antibiotic can block ceftazidime's ability to kill bacteria; this combination should be avoided when a bactericidal (bacteria-killing) effect is needed
This is not a complete list of interactions. Always talk with your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
📋Before taking it▾
- Tell your doctor if you have ever had an allergic reaction to ceftazidime, any cephalosporin antibiotic, or penicillin — cross-reactions are possible
- Tell your doctor if you have kidney disease or reduced kidney function; the dose must be adjusted to prevent dangerous drug accumulation
- Liver disease alone does not require a dose change, but your care team should know about any liver conditions
- Tell your doctor about all other medications you take, especially aminoglycoside antibiotics or water pills (diuretics)
- Inform your doctor if you have a history of colitis or other gastrointestinal disease
- For infants and children, dosing is weight-based and route is intravenous; specific pediatric dosing is determined by the prescriber
- Neonates (newborns up to 4 weeks) may receive ceftazidime intravenously; dosing is set by the care team
🚑If you take too much▾
Ceftazidime overdose has been reported mainly in patients with kidney failure, where the drug can build up to excessive levels. Effects can include seizures, encephalopathy (brain dysfunction), coma, and abnormal muscle movements. Anyone who may have received too much should be monitored closely and given supportive care; in patients with kidney problems, hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis may help remove the drug from the body.
📡Pharmacodynamics — effects in the body▾
Ceftazidime is a bactericidal agent — it actively kills bacteria rather than simply inhibiting their growth. It achieves therapeutic (treatment-level) concentrations not just in the bloodstream but also in tissues and body fluids including urine, bile, synovial fluid (joint fluid), cerebrospinal fluid (the fluid around the brain and spinal cord), bone, lung secretions, and peritoneal fluid (abdominal fluid). This wide tissue distribution supports its use across many types of infection sites.
🔬Pharmacokinetics — how your body processes it▾
After intravenous administration, peak blood levels are reached quickly — within minutes of the infusion ending. After intramuscular injection, peak levels occur at around 1 hour. The drug's half-life (the time it takes for blood levels to drop by half) is approximately 1.9 to 2 hours in people with normal kidney function. Ceftazidime is minimally bound to proteins in the blood and does not accumulate with repeated dosing in people with healthy kidneys.
Between 80% and 90% of a dose is eliminated unchanged through the kidneys within 24 hours, which is why kidney function directly affects how long the drug stays in the body. In patients with impaired kidney function, the half-life is significantly prolonged, making dose adjustment essential. Liver dysfunction alone does not meaningfully affect how ceftazidime is processed or eliminated.
📦How to store it▾
stored at 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F) and protected from light.
📄 Written from Ceftazidime Injection’s FDA-approved label information, summarized in plain language with AI, and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Every point is grounded in that labeling — nothing is invented. How we use AI →
Supplements & herbs that interact with Ceftazidime Injection
37 supplements and herbal products have documented interactions with Ceftazidime Injection in the licensed clinical database we use. Most are manageable — but your pharmacist should know about everything you take, including vitamins and herbals.
- Moderate · 36
- Minor · 1
Educational information from a licensed clinical database (Natural Medicines) — see our data sources & update cadence. Not medical advice: an interaction being documented does not mean it will happen to you; do not start or stop medications or supplements without professional guidance.
Nutrient depletion considerations
Ceftazidime Injection has been associated with lower levels of 7 nutrients in the clinical literature. This does not mean a deficiency will occur — it means these may be worth discussing with your pharmacist or healthcare provider, especially with long-term use.
- Higher significance · 6
- Moderate · 1
Educational information from a licensed clinical database (Natural Medicines) — not medical advice. Do not start or stop medications or supplements without professional guidance.
🩺 Pharmacist Counseling Corner
Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Ceftazidime Injection — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.
What kinds of infections is ceftazidime used to treat? ▾
How will I receive this medication? ▾
What side effects should I watch out for? ▾
I've had a penicillin allergy in the past — is this safe for me? ▾
I have kidney disease — do I need a different dose? ▾
Are there any medications I should avoid while receiving ceftazidime? ▾
Is Ceftazidime Injection available over the counter? ▾
When was Ceftazidime Injection first available? ▾
Who makes Ceftazidime Injection? ▾
💬 Answers drafted from Ceftazidime Injection’s FDA-approved label information, summarized in plain language with AI, and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Grounded in that labeling — nothing is made up. How we use AI →
🧰 Keep exploring
💊 How Ceftazidime Injection comes
Ceftazidime Injection is available in 1 form. Different forms and brands can have different approved uses, doses, schedules, and directions. Follow the instructions for your exact product, and do not switch forms without guidance from your prescriber or pharmacist.
Injection
How this form is used
- Tazicef is indicated to treat lower respiratory tract infections, including pneumonia, caused by susceptible bacteria
- Tazicef is indicated to treat bacterial septicemia (bloodstream infections), urinary tract infections, skin infections, bone and joint infections, gynecologic infections, intra-abdominal infections, and meningitis
- Tazicef may be used alone for confirmed or suspected sepsis, or combined with other antibiotics in severe infections or in immunocompromised patients
- Ceftazidime and Dextrose is used intravenously to deliver ceftazidime for treatment of susceptible bacterial infections
- Tazicef is administered intravenously or intramuscularly; the route and frequency depend on the type and severity of infection and the patient's kidney function
- Tazicef is typically given every 8 to 12 hours; always follow the schedule set by your prescriber
- Patients with reduced kidney function receiving Tazicef require dose adjustment — kidney function is monitored during treatment
- No dose adjustment for liver disease alone is needed with Tazicef, provided kidney function is normal
Show 3 more strengths Show fewer strengths
📊 Ceftazidime Injection across the U.S. market
How Ceftazidime Injection appears in the FDA’s National Drug Code Directory — including its dosage forms, strengths, brand names, manufacturers, and FDA-listed product records. These are directory records, not sales or prescription volume.
Share of FDA-listed product records by manufacturer — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.
📈 How widely Ceftazidime Injection is used
A general measure of how commonly Ceftazidime Injection is prescribed, based on Medicaid — one of the largest public drug programs. The figure below is prescriptions filled in Q1–Q4 2025, summed across every form and brand of the drug.
Think of this as a proxy for how widely Ceftazidime Injection is used, drawn from freely available public data. Medicaid is just one program — these numbers don’t include Medicare, other government coverage, or commercial and cash-pay prescriptions, so real-world use is higher than what’s shown here.
How commonly is Ceftazidime Injection prescribed? Of the 1,596 medications we measure, Ceftazidime Injection ranks #1,031 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 35% of them.
Utilization by Ceftazidime Injection product
Pick a product to see its own Medicaid numbers. Each chip is one clinical product — a specific strength & dosage form as defined by RxNorm — with brand-name and generic versions combined.
ceftazidime 1000 MG Injection Most dispensed
Summed across the 3 of 11 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 1659283
ceftazidime 2000 MG Injection
Summed across the 3 of 8 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 1659287
ceftazidime 200 MG/ML Injectable Solution
Summed across the 3 of 6 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 242800
Shares are of the Medicaid prescriptions shown here. Product grouping follows RxNorm (the National Library of Medicine’s drug terminology), so “one product” means one strength & dosage form regardless of manufacturer. Dollar figures are gross Medicaid reimbursement before mandatory rebates — rebates (often large, especially for brand-name drugs) are confidential, so actual net cost to Medicaid is lower than shown.
Source: Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data (CMS), aggregated by generic ingredient — summed across every NDC (all brands, strengths, salt forms and dosage forms) of Ceftazidime Injection, and across all states and both fee-for-service and managed-care claims. A general popularity signal; it excludes Medicare, commercial insurance and cash prescriptions, so it is not total U.S. use. Based on the 9 of 25 listed Ceftazidime Injection NDCs with Medicaid activity.
🔍 Compare Ceftazidime Injection products
A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Ceftazidime Injection — across manufacturers, strengths, and dosage forms, grouped by form with each product’s manufacturer and how the FDA approved it. The same medicine may be made and packaged by different companies, so a single drug can have many directory entries. (It’s also why a refill can look different — a new shape, color, or box — even though it contains the same medication.)
| Strength | Route | Manufacturer / Labeler | Category ⓘ | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💊Injection | ||||
| 1 g/50 mL | Intravenous | B. Braun Medical Inc. | NDA | View NDC → |
| 2 g/50 mL | Intravenous | B. Braun Medical Inc. | NDA | View NDC → |
| 1 g | Intramuscular, Intravenous | Hospira, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 1 g | Intramuscular; Intravenous | Hospira, Inc. × 2 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 1 g | Intravenous | Hospira, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 2 g | Intravenous | Hospira, Inc. × 5 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 6 g | Intravenous | Hospira, Inc. × 3 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 1 g | Intramuscular, Intravenous | Sagent Pharmaceuticals × 2 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 1 g | Intramuscular; Intravenous | Sagent Pharmaceuticals | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 2 g | Intravenous | Sagent Pharmaceuticals × 3 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 6 g/30 mL | Intravenous | Sagent Pharmaceuticals × 3 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 1 g | Intramuscular, Intravenous | WG Critical Care, LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 1 g/20 mL | Intramuscular; Intravenous | WG Critical Care, LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 2 g | Intravenous | WG Critical Care, LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 2 g/20 mL | Intravenous | WG Critical Care, LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 6 g | Intravenous | WG Critical Care, LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 6 g/100 mL | Intravenous | WG Critical Care, LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
Showing 29 of 29 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 29 Ceftazidime Injection NDCs →
📈 What people report — real-world data (FDA FAERS)
After a medicine reaches the market, patients, doctors and drugmakers can send the FDA reports of problems they think may be linked to it. Here’s what’s been reported for Ceftazidime Injection — a signal of what to watch for, not proof the drug caused it.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). These are voluntary reports — they don’t prove the drug caused the effect, and counts reflect how often something was reported, not how often it actually happens. Reports also often name the very problem the medicine is taken for — a common reason to file one is that the drug didn’t help — so for a pain reliever you may see “pain” high on the list; that points to why the report was filed, not to the drug causing the symptom. This counts every report that lists Ceftazidime Injection in any role, so the total runs higher than the FDA’s official dashboard, which counts only cases where the drug is the suspect. For the authoritative figures, see the FDA FAERS Public Dashboard. Always talk to your pharmacist or doctor.
🏛️ The road to your pharmacy
How Ceftazidime Injection went from FDA review to the pharmacy shelf — the key milestones in its regulatory journey.
Source: Drugs@FDA.
🚨 Recall history
A recall is when a specific batch of a medicine is pulled from the market — usually a manufacturing issue, not a problem with the drug itself. Class I is most serious, Class III least.
Source: openFDA drug enforcement (recall) reports.
RxNorm Concept Web — From Ingredient to Every Form and Strength
This page starts with one ingredient concept (IN). The branches below show its dose-form concepts (SCDF), then the available clinical drug and strength concepts (SCD). Combination products remain separate concepts with their own pages.
RxCUI 2191 2 dose forms · 5 strengths
-
Dose form (SCDF) Injectable Solution RxCUI 371337In current FDA listings -
Dose form (SCDF) Injection RxCUI 1659277In current FDA listings
Look up RxCUI 2191 in the RxCUI Atlas →
RxNorm is the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s normalized drug vocabulary. Its concept hierarchy can include forms that are not currently marketed; the status on each branch compares that concept with current FDA listings. RxCUIs identify vocabulary concepts, not individual packages or manufacturers.
📦 Supply & shortage status
Whether Ceftazidime Injection is in short supply in the U.S. right now, plus any shortage history the FDA has on record. A shortage usually reflects a manufacturing or demand issue — not a safety problem with the drug.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Drug Shortages database.
🏷️ Sold under these brand names
🏭 Manufacturers & labelers
RxNorm drug class
Ceftazidime Injection belongs to the Cephalosporin Antibacterial class.
Classified by RxNorm RxClass — the U.S. National Library of Medicine's standardized drug-classification service (Established Pharmacologic Class from the FDA, the ATC drug family from the WHO, and mechanism of action). Reference only, not medical advice.
🔬 Where this comes from
Core label, product, RxNorm, safety, and utilization data on this page come from the sources identified below. AI-written, editorial, and licensed sections are labeled separately.
How we combine label and product data
HelloPharmacist combines public FDA and NLM records; we don’t author the underlying clinical facts. We identified 7 FDA-filed SPL label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. The representative label is the starting point for the displayed reference monograph; the 12 largest stored in-scope SPL records, which may include that representative, are compared section by section, and the longest available version of each section is retained. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, product-listed strengths, and product-record counts are aggregated separately from ingredient-matched FDA NDC Directory records; package records listed above are associated with the linked SPL; and the normalized concept hierarchy comes from NLM RxNorm.
Where a section is identified as AI-written, its plain-language text is generated from bounded label evidence. New draft drug pages remain in the admin review queue before first publication. Hospira, Inc. is the representative DailyMed label linked for verification and dates; it is not the sole source used for the page.
This is general education, not medical advice — always consult your doctor or pharmacist about your medications and any medical condition. For the exact wording of the linked representative label, view that label on DailyMed; some displayed composite sections may come from other in-scope SPL labels. Learn how we use AI and our data sources & update cadence.