From the Guidelines
Cefdinir is effective against Streptococcus pneumoniae, but not against Influenza.
Effectiveness Against Streptococcus pneumoniae
- Cefdinir is listed as an alternative antimicrobial agent for the treatment of Streptococcus pneumoniae infections, along with other cephalosporins such as cefpodoxime, cefprozil, and cefuroxime 1.
- The guidelines recommend that the choice of antimicrobial agent should be modified based on susceptibility test results and advice from local specialists.
- Cefdinir is an oral cephalosporin with activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae, but its effectiveness may vary depending on the susceptibility of the specific strain.
Effectiveness Against Influenza
- Cefdinir is not effective against Influenza virus, as it is a bacterial antibiotic and Influenza is a viral infection.
- The guidelines recommend oseltamivir or zanamivir as the preferred treatment for Influenza virus infection 1.
- Cefdinir should not be used as a treatment for Influenza, and instead, antiviral medications such as oseltamivir or zanamivir should be used.
From the FDA Drug Label
Cefdinir has been shown to be active against most strains of the following microorganisms, both in vitro and in clinical infections as described in INDICATIONS AND USAGE Gram-Positive Bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (methicillin-susceptible strains only) Streptococcus pneumoniae (penicillin-susceptible strains only) Streptococcus pyogenes Gram-Negative Bacteria Haemophilus influenzae Haemophilus parainfluenzae Moraxella catarrhalis
The effectiveness of Cefdinir against Streptococcus pneumoniae is established, but only against penicillin-susceptible strains. There is no information about the effectiveness of Cefdinir against Influenza, as Influenza is a viral infection and Cefdinir is an antibacterial drug. 2 2
From the Research
Effectiveness of Cefdinir against Streptococcus pneumoniae
- Cefdinir has been shown to be effective against penicillin-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae (PSSP) 3, 4, 5, 6.
- The drug provides good coverage against PSSP, with MIC values indicating susceptibility 4, 5.
- However, cefdinir is not active against penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (PRSP) 5.
- Against penicillin-intermediate Streptococcus pneumoniae (PISP), the susceptibility rates of cefdinir were 70.1% 5.
Effectiveness of Cefdinir against Influenza
- There is no direct evidence in the provided studies regarding the effectiveness of cefdinir against Influenza.
- Cefdinir has been shown to be effective against Haemophilus influenzae, a common cause of respiratory tract infections 3, 4, 5, 6.
- However, Influenza refers to a viral infection caused by the influenza virus, and cefdinir is an antibiotic effective against bacterial infections, not viral infections.
Overall Efficacy of Cefdinir
- Cefdinir has a broad spectrum of activity against many gram-negative and gram-positive aerobic organisms, including Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis 3, 4, 6.
- The drug is stable to hydrolysis by commonly occurring plasmid-mediated beta-lactamases and retains good activity against beta-lactamase-producing strains of H. influenzae and M. catarrhalis 3, 6.
- Cefdinir has been shown to be effective in the treatment of a wide range of mild-to-moderate infections of the respiratory tract and skin in adults, adolescents, and pediatric patients 3, 6.