Patient was educated on precautions to be exercised while taking Ceftriaxone as follows:
- Watch closely for development of any opportunistic infections, such as, oral candidiasis with white patches in the mouth, to be reported to the physician.
- Check with your doctor regarding safety upon receiving any live vaccinations, as Ceftriaxone by eliminating natural bacterial flora, could lower the body’s resistance. Live vaccinations could turn virulent in such individuals, precipitating new infections.
- Observe compliance with any regular lab work ordered. Ceftriaxone carries the risk for hepatic and renal damage and so, hepatic and renal function could be periodically monitored. Watch closely to report any symptoms of itching, jaundice with yellowing of skin and sclera, dark urine, altered metabolism with nausea and vomiting, pain in the right upper abdominal quadrant, and fatigue suggesting damage to the liver. Any symptoms of renal injury and altered kidney function, such as, altered levels of consciousness and reduced urine formation, should be closely watched for and reported to the physician.
- Ceftriaxone hardly undergoes any metabolism in the body and is significantly excreted unchanged in the bile and urine. Individuals with biliary obstructions and compromised renal functions tend to retain the drug in the circulation longer, thus resulting in toxicity. Ceftriaxone should be avoided or used with extreme caution in such individuals.
