Aztreonam

Aztreonam is a prescription medicine used to treat certain bacterial infections. Aztreonam is in a class of drugs called monobactam antibacterials. It interferes with the growth of bacterial cells and causes them to die.

This medication is available in an injectable form to be given directly into a vein (IV) or muscle (IM) by a healthcare professional.

Aztreonam also comes in inhalational form. It is inhaled through the mouth into the lungs using a machine called an Altera Nebulizer. It is usually given three times a day for 28 days.

Common side effects of aztreonam injectable include nausea, vomiting, and irritation or discomfort at injection site.

Common side effects of aztreonam inhalation include cough, wheezing, and sore throat.

Injectable:

Aztreonam is a prescription medicine used to treat certain bacterial infections.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacists for more information.

Inhalation:

Aztreonam is used to treat patients above the age of 7 with cystic fibrosis (CF) who have a lung infection caused by the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa).  

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacists for more information.

Aztreonam may be found in some form under the following brand names:

• Azactam

• Cayston

Injectable:

Common side effects of aztreonam include:

• discomfort or irritation at site of injection
• diarrhea
• nausea
• vomiting
• rash

Inhalation:

Common side effects of aztreonam include:

• cough
• nasal congestion
• wheezing
• sore throat
• fever. Fever may be more common in children than in adults.
• chest discomfort
• stomach area (abdominal) pain
• vomiting

Tell your doctor if you have any new or worsening symptoms while taking aztreonam. Tell your doctor about any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

These are not all the possible side effects of aztreonam. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

No significant drug interactions have been identified. However, you should tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Not all drug interactions are known or reported and new drug interactions are continually being reported.

Injectable/Inhalational:

• It is common to feel better early in the course of therapy, but you should take all of your medication as prescribed. Skipping doses or not completing the full course of therapy may (1) decrease the effectiveness of the immediate treatment and (2) increase the likelihood that bacteria will develop resistance and will not be treatable by aztreonam or other antibacterial drugs in the future.
• Diarrhea is a common problem caused by antibiotics. This should stop once the antibiotic is discontinued. Sometimes after starting treatment with antibiotics, watery and bloody stools (with or without stomach cramps and fever) can occur even as late as 2 or more months after having taken the last dose of the antibiotic. If this occurs, contact your doctor as soon as possible.
• Severe allergic reactions. Stop your treatment with aztreonam and call your doctor right away if you have any symptoms of an allergic reaction, including:
  • Rash or swelling of your face
  • Throat tightness
• Trouble breathing right after treatment with aztreonam (bronchospasm). To decrease the chance of this happening, be sure to use your inhaled bronchodilator medicine before each treatment with aztreonam. 
• Do not take aztreonam if you are allergic to it or to any of its inactive ingredients.
• Tell your doctor if you are allergic to any other medications, especially antibiotics, before taking aztreonam. There might be a small risk taking aztreonam if you have had an allergic reaction to particularly an antibiotic in the past.

Medicines can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of aztreonam there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving Cayston.

Before taking aztreonam, tell your doctor if you:

• are allergic to any antibiotics
• have liver or kidney problems
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Talk to your doctor about the best way to breastfeed your baby if you take aztreonam.

Tell your doctor about all the medicine you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements.

Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them to show your doctor and pharmacist when you get a new medicine

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

This medication falls into category B. There are no well-done studies that have been done in humans with aztreonam. In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication, and the babies did not show any medical issues related to this medication.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. The active ingredient in aztreonam can pass into breast milk. Talk to your doctor about the best way to breastfeed your baby if you take aztreonam. 

Injectable:

This medication is available in an injectable form to be given directly into a vein (IV) or muscle (IM) by a healthcare professional.

Inhalation:

• Take aztreonam exactly as prescribed by your doctor.
• The dose of aztreonam for both adults and children 7 years of age and older is one vial of aztreonam, mixed with one ampule of saline (diluent) 3 times a day.
• Doses of aztreonam should be taken at least 4 hours apart (for example: morning, after school, and before bed).
• Aztreonam should be taken for 28 days.
• Aztreonam is taken as a breathing treatment (inhalation) with the Altera Nebulizer System. Do not use any other nebulizer for your aztreonam treatment.
• You should use an inhaled bronchodilator (a type of medicine used to relax and open your airways) before taking a dose of aztreonam. If you do not have an inhaled bronchodilator, ask your doctor to prescribe one for you.
• If you are taking several medicines or treatments to treat your cystic fibrosis, you should take your medicines or other treatments in this order:

  1)  bronchodilator

  2)  mucolytics (medicines to help clear mucus from your lungs)

  3)  aztreonam

• You should take aztreonam as prescribed, in courses of 28 days on aztreonam, followed by at least 28 days off aztreonam, as directed by your doctor.
• Do not mix aztreonam with any other medicines in your Altera Nebulizer System.
• Do not mix aztreonam with the saline until right before you are ready to use it. Do not mix more than one dose of aztreonam at a time.
• Each treatment should take about 2 to 3 minutes.
• If you miss a dose of aztreonam, you can still take all 3 daily doses as long as they are at least 4 hours apart.
• It is important for you to finish taking the full 28-day course of aztreonam even if you are feeling better. If you skip doses or do not finish the full 28-day course of aztreonam, your infection may not be fully treated and aztreonam may not work as well as a treatment for infections in the future.

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

Injectable:

The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the susceptibility of the bacteria, severity and site of infection, and the condition of the patient.

Inhalation:

The dose of aztreonam for both adults and children 7 years of age and older is one vial of aztreonam (75 mg of aztreonam), mixed with one ampule of saline (diluent) 3 times a day.

If you take too much aztreonam, call your doctor or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.

Injectable:

• Avoid excessive heat.

Inhalation:

• Each aztreonam kit contains enough vials of aztreonam and ampules of saline for 28 days of treatment. There are 4 extra saline ampules in case some saline spills.
• Always keep your aztreonam and saline together.
• Store aztreonam and saline in the refrigerator at 36 °F to 46 °F (2 °C to 8 °C) until needed.
• When you remove aztreonam and saline from the refrigerator, they may be stored at room temperature (less than 77 °F) for up to 28 days. Do not use any aztreonam that has been stored at room temperature for more than 28 days.
• Keep aztreonam away from light.
• Do not use aztreonam after the expiration date on the vial. Do not use the saline after the expiration date on the ampule.

Keep aztreonam and all medicines out of the reach of children.