From the Guidelines
The equivalent oral antibiotics to cefepime, a fourth-generation cephalosporin, are cefixime 400mg twice daily or cefprozil 30 mg/kg per d in 2 doses or cefpodoxime 200-400mg twice daily, which provide similar antimicrobial coverage 1.
Key Points
- For complicated urinary tract infections, a 7-10 day course of cefixime 400mg once daily or cefpodoxime 200mg twice daily may be considered equivalent to a 7-10 day course of cefepime 1-2g every 8-12 hours.
- Alternatively, levofloxacin 500mg once daily or moxifloxacin 400mg once daily for 7-10 days may also be considered as oral equivalents to cefepime 1.
- It is essential to consider local patterns of susceptibility of coliforms to antimicrobial agents, particularly when selecting an antimicrobial agent before sensitivity results are available 1.
- The choice of oral antibiotic should be based on the severity of illness, local resistance patterns, and specific host factors, such as allergies 1.
- Cefpodoxime and cefixime are oral cephalosporins that can be used as alternatives to cefepime in certain cases, but their effectiveness may vary depending on the specific infection and local resistance patterns 1.
From the Research
Oral Antibiotic Equivalent of Cefepime
There are no direct oral antibiotic equivalents of cefepime mentioned in the provided studies. However, some studies compare cefepime with other antibiotics, including oral ones:
- Cefixime, a third-generation cephalosporin, is mentioned in the study 2 as an effective oral antibiotic for treating urinary tract infections.
- The study 3 compares cefepime with ceftazidime and cefotaxime, but does not provide information on oral antibiotic equivalents.
- The studies 4, 5, and 6 discuss cefepime's efficacy and safety, but do not mention oral antibiotic equivalents.
Key Points
- Cefepime is a fourth-generation cephalosporin with a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity 3, 5, 6.
- Cefixime is an oral cephalosporin that may be used as an alternative for treating urinary tract infections 2.
- Cefepime's efficacy and safety have been compared with other antibiotics, including ceftazidime and cefotaxime 3, 4, 6.
Antibiotic Spectrum
- Cefepime has good activity against gram-positive and gram-negative organisms, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa 6.
- Cefepime is not active against Enterococcus faecalis, Clostridium difficile, and methicillin- and cefazolin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus 6.
- The most common mechanism of resistance to cefepime is the excess production of beta-lactamases 6.