Zinnat - Update usage information

Posted by Pharmacist Nguyen Thu Giang - Clinical Pharmacist, Faculty of Pharmacy, Vinmec Times City International Hospital

Zinnat is an antibiotic used very commonly for many infections with many dosage forms and concentrations suitable for many subjects and ages. The main active ingredient is cefuroxime, belonging to the group of broad-spectrum cephalosporin bactericidal antibiotics. with Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

Zinnat is indicated for the treatment of the following cases:
Upper respiratory tract infections such as nasopharyngitis, otitis media, sinusitis, tonsillitis... Lower respiratory tract infections such as bronchitis acute and acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis. Genitourinary tract infections such as pyelonephritis, cystitis. Uncomplicated skin and soft tissue infections such as boils, pyoderma, and impetigo Early Lyme disease

Besides those who can use Zinnat to treat the disease, this drug is also contraindicated for the following subjects:
Patients with hypersensitivity to cefuroxime or any of its ingredients Patients with money history of hypersensitivity (such as anaphylaxis...) to penicillin or beta-lactam antibiotics (such as amoxicillin, cephalexine, cefaclor, cefixime...).In people with a history of allergy to penicillin or beta-lactam antibiotics (eg: cefalexin, cefaclor, cefixime...) there is a risk of cross-allergic reaction to this drug.

Dosage of cefuroxime for adults and children varies for different indications and depends on the severity of the disease and the antibiotic resistance of the area. Accordingly, the prescribing doctor will decide the appropriate dose for each specific case. Average duration of a course of treatment lasts 7 days (5-10 days)
Here is a reference figure recommended by the manufacturer and approved by Europe in November 2019:
With Adults and children ≥ 40kg :

For children < 40kg

The manufacturer lacks research data on the use of Zinnat in children under 3 months of age. Because the drug is eliminated mainly by the kidneys, for patients with impaired renal function, the dose of the drug will be adjusted accordingly. degree of decline (as assessed by creatinine clearance).

The most common adverse drug effects of the drug are headache, dizziness, gastrointestinal disturbances (abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea) and transient elevation of liver enzymes.

Zinnat medicine has many dosage forms, such as film-coated tablets, sachets of granules mixed with oral suspension and vials of granules mixed with oral suspensions suitable for each age group. For each dosage form, there are some notes when using, specifically as follows:
250mg, 500mg film-coated tablets: Should be taken after meals for optimal drug absorption. With this dosage form, the patient should not crush it. Therefore, the tablet form is not suitable for patients who cannot swallow whole tablets. At that time, the patient can switch to the form of granules mixed with suspension or vial of granules mixed with suspension.
Nuggets for suspension of Zinnat 125mg/5ml: Each 5ml of suspension contains 125mg of cefuroxime. With this dosage form, patients should take it with meals for optimal absorption. However, this preparation should pay special attention to the preparation of the suspension:
Shake the powder bottle to prevent the nuggets from sticking to the wall of the jar, open the lid, add a little cold water to the bottle, absolutely do not use it. hot water or warm water cover. It is necessary to let the vial stand still for about 1 minute for the water to fully absorb into the nuggets. Turn the vial upside down and shake well for at least 15 seconds until the nuggets are well mixed with the water. Return the vial to the original upright position and shake well for another 1 minute until all the nuggets are mixed with the water. Immediately place the vial in the refrigerator (temperature between 2-8°C) at least 1 hour before taking the first dose. The solution after reconstitution should continue to be stored in the refrigerator (temperature from 2-8°C) for 10 days. Always shake the vial well before using the medicine. The suspension should not be diluted with hot water to drink, but can be mixed with cold fruit juice or cold milk and should be drunk immediately after mixing. Zinnat is an antibiotic that needs to be used according to a doctor's prescription to ensure that it is used safely, rationally and effectively, to avoid overuse of antibiotics and cause antibiotic resistance.
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Source: Medicines.org.uk