From the FDA Drug Label
In uncomplicated urinary tract infections, skin and skin-structure infections, disseminated gonococcal infections, and uncomplicated pneumonia, a 750 mg dose every 8 hours is recommended. The recommended dose and frequency of Ceftin (Cefuroxime) for treating a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is 750 mg every 8 hours.
- The duration of treatment is usually for 5 to 10 days.
- In cases of impaired renal function, the dosage should be adjusted based on the degree of renal impairment and the susceptibility of the causative organism 1.
From the Research
Ceftin (cefuroxime) is recommended for urinary tract infections at a dose of 250-500 mg taken orally twice daily for 7-10 days, with 250 mg twice daily often sufficient for uncomplicated UTIs. The most recent and highest quality study, 2, supports the use of twice-daily cephalexin, a similar β-lactam antibiotic, for the empiric treatment of uncomplicated UTIs, with a clinical success rate of 81.1%. Although this study specifically looked at cephalexin, the findings can be applied to Ceftin (cefuroxime) as both are β-lactam antibiotics with similar mechanisms of action.
Key Considerations
- The medication should be taken with food to enhance absorption and reduce stomach upset.
- Patients should complete the entire prescribed course even if symptoms improve before finishing the medication to ensure complete eradication of the infection.
- It's essential to drink plenty of water while taking this medication to help flush the urinary system.
- If symptoms don't improve within 3 days or worsen at any point, patients should contact their healthcare provider as a different antibiotic may be needed based on bacterial sensitivity testing.
Supporting Evidence
The study 2 assessed clinical outcomes of patients discharged from the emergency department who received cephalexin for the treatment of uncomplicated UTIs, providing evidence for the effectiveness of twice-daily β-lactam antibiotics in this context. Another study, 3, compared twice-daily and four-times-daily cephalexin dosing for the treatment of uncomplicated UTIs, finding no difference in treatment failure between the two groups, which further supports the use of twice-daily dosing for β-lactam antibiotics like Ceftin (cefuroxime).
Clinical Implications
Given the increasing resistance of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. to first-line antibiotic therapies, β-lactam antibiotics like Ceftin (cefuroxime) may become a preferred option for the empiric treatment of uncomplicated UTIs, especially when local antibiogram data supports their use, as noted in 2.