Storage of Reconstituted Cefuroxime
Yes, reconstituted cefuroxime can and should be stored in the refrigerator, where it maintains stability for up to 48 hours for intramuscular preparations and up to 7 days for intravenous preparations, depending on the specific formulation and concentration. 1
Intramuscular Formulations
- Reconstituted cefuroxime for IM injection maintains satisfactory potency for 24 hours at room temperature and 48 hours under refrigeration at 5°C. 1
- After these time periods, any unused suspensions must be discarded. 1
Intravenous Formulations
Standard IV Solutions (750 mg and 1.5 g vials)
- When constituted with Sterile Water for Injection, IV solutions maintain satisfactory potency for 24 hours at room temperature and 48 hours under refrigeration at 5°C. 1
Diluted IV Solutions
- More dilute solutions (750 mg or 1.5 g in 100 mL of compatible diluent) maintain satisfactory potency for 24 hours at room temperature and 7 days under refrigeration. 1
- Solutions further diluted to concentrations between 1-30 mg/mL in compatible diluents lose no more than 10% activity for 24 hours at room temperature or at least 7 days under refrigeration. 1
- Compatible diluents include: 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, 5% Dextrose Injection, Lactated Ringer's Injection, and various dextrose-saline combinations. 1
Research-Supported Storage Data
- Cefuroxime at concentrations of 30 and 60 mg/mL was stable for 30 days at -20°C followed by 4 days at 3°C in infusion-pump reservoirs. 2
- Cefuroxime at 22.5 and 45 mg/mL concentrations was stable for 7 days at 3°C refrigeration. 2
- Maximum stability occurs in the pH range of 4-7, where cefuroxime maintains >90% concentration for 1.2 days at 25°C. 3
Important Caveats
- Sodium Bicarbonate Injection is NOT recommended for dilution of cefuroxime. 1
- Solutions may darken during storage without adversely affecting potency. 1
- For oral suspension formulations (cefuroxime axetil), stability is preserved for 10 days after reconstitution under both room and refrigerated conditions, though refrigeration provides slightly better stability (92.35% vs 87.68% drug release at day 10). 4
- Frozen solutions stored at -20°C are stable for 6 months but should be thawed at room temperature and never refrozen. 1
- Do not force thaw by immersion in water baths or microwave irradiation. 1