Keflex: What is it and what is it for?

What is keflex?

Keflex®is a semi-synthetic cephalosporin chemical compoundclassified as a medicine, which usescephalexinas an active ingredient that belongs to the type of medicines with antibiotic effect, created to combat a large number of infections caused by various bacteria and pathogenic microorganisms.

To highlight: This drug is made by the pharmaceutical company named Eli Lilly and Company of Mexico, SA DE CV (1)

What is keflex for?

• Thanks to its mechanism of action, keflex® is a bactericidal drug that actsby inhibiting the synthesis of the bacterial cell walleliminating susceptible microorganisms, thus eradicating infectionscaused in the body.
• It is used to treat:
  • Respiratory tract infections. (2)
  • Bacterial infections in the lungs, ears, bladder, and kidneys.
  • Rheumatic fever.
  • Otitis media, sinusitis .
  • Skinand soft tissue infections. (3)
  • Infections of the bones and joints.
  • Genitourinary tract infections, including acute prostatitis.

Dosage and routes of administration of keflex

Keflex®comes as a box with 12 tablets or capsulescontaining 500 mg cephalexin base and suspensionof 250 mg/5 ml. The administration of keflex® is oral and its dosage as a guideline, can be as follows:

• Keflex® Tablets: Adult population, 250 mg every 6 hours or 500 mg every 12 hours.
• Keflex® suspension: In children the recommended dose is 25 to 50 mg/kg in divided doses.

Note: It is advisable to consult the doctor to establish the appropriate dose for each type of patient.

side effects of keflex

Therapeutic treatment with keflex® may cause some of the following adverse effects in a certain patient population:

• Allergic reactions due to contact with any component of the formula in sensitive patients.
• Pseudomembranous colitis.
• Nausea, diarrhea , and Vomiting .
• Dyspepsia, gastritis and abdominal pain .
• Stevens Johnson
• Transient hepatitis and cholestatic jaundice .
• Fever, aplastic anemia and hemorrhage.
• Renal dysfunction and toxic nephropathy.

Important: If any of these symptoms or another not included in the list appear during treatment with keflex®, please stop taking it and consult your doctor .

Contraindications and warnings of keflex

The use of keflex® is contraindicated in the following cases:

• Hypersensitivity to any of the formula’s components.
• During the first trimester of pregnancy.
• During breastfeeding .

You should know: Provide all the information about your medical history to your doctor, before starting treatment with this medicine.

Avoid if you have:

• History of hypersensitivity to cephalosporins.
• History of hypersensitivity to penicillins .

Warnings:

• Pharmaceutical products such as keflex® must be administered with a prescription or prescription.
• Do not administer this medicine with the intake of drugs or alcoholic substances.
• If you are being medicated for any other pathology with any medication or drug, you should consult your doctor before taking keflex®.
• Follow your doctor’s instructions while taking this drug.
• Keep this product out of the reach of children.