Patient leaflet - ZINFORO 600 MG POWDER FOR CONCENTRATE FOR SOLUTION FOR INFUSION
1. what zinforo is and what it is used for
What Zinforo is
Zinforo is an antibiotic medicine that contains the active substance ceftaroline fosamil. It belongs to a group of medicines called ‘cephalosporin antibiotics.’
What Zinforo is used for
- Zinforo is used to treat children (from birth) and adults with: infections of the skin and the tissues below the skin an infection of the lungs called ‘pneumonia’
How Zinforo works
Zinforo works by killing certain bacteria, which can cause serious infections.
2. what you need to know before you use zinforo
Do not use Zinforo:
- If you are allergic to ceftaroline fosamil or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).
- If you are allergic to other cephalosporin antibiotics
- If you have had previous severe allergic reactions to other antibiotics like penicillin or carbapenem.
Do not use Zinforo if any of the above applies to you. If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or nurse before using Zinforo.
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor or nurse before using Zinforo:
- If you have kidney problems (your doctor may have to prescribe a lower dose)
- If you have ever had fits (seizures or convulsions)
- If you have ever had any non-severe allergic reactions to other antibiotics like penicillin or carbapenem
- If you have had severe diarrhoea whilst taking antibiotics in the past
You may get another infection caused by another bacteria during or following treatment with Zinforo.
You may develop signs and symptoms of severe skin reactions such as fever, joint pain, skin rash, red scaly rash, skin bumps that contain pus, blisters or peeling of skin, red circular patches often with central blisters on the trunk, ulcers of mouth, throat, nose, genitals and eyes. If this happens talk to your doctor or nurse immediately.
Lab Test
You may develop an abnormal lab test (called Coombs test) that looks for certain antibodies which may act against your
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red blood cells. If the level of your red blood cells fall your doctor may check to see if these antibodies have caused this.
If any of the above apply to you (or you are not sure), talk to your doctor or nurse before using Zinforo.
Other medicines and Zinforo
Tell your doctor or nurse if you are using, have recently used or might use any other medicines.
TAMPER EVIDENT LABEL
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Tell your doctor before using Zinforo if you are pregnant. Do not use this medicine during pregnancy unless your doctor has told you to.
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor for advice before taking this medicine.
Driving and using machines
Zinforo may cause side effects such as dizziness. This may impair your ability to drive or operate machinery.
3. how to use zinforo
Zinforo will be given to you by a doctor or nurse.
How much to use
The usual recommended dose for adults is 600 mg every 12 hours. Your doctor may increase your dose to 600 mg every 8 hours for some infections. The usual recommended dose for children depends on the age and weight of the child and is given every 8 or 12 hours. It is given as a drip into a vein lasting 5 to 60 minutes if you receive the usual dose or 120 minutes if you receive an increased dose.
A course of treatment usually lasts for 5 to 14 days for skin infections and 5 to 7 days for pneumonia.
Patients with kidney problems
If you have kidney problems your doctor may lower your dose because Zinforo is removed from your body by the kidneys.
If you use more Zinforo than you should
If you think you have been given too much Zinforo, tell your doctor or nurse straight away.
If you miss a dose of Zinforo
If you think you have missed a dose, tell your doctor or nurse straight away.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or nurse.
4. possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. The following side effects may happen with this medicine:
Tell your doctor straight away if you get these symptoms as you may need urgent medical treatment:
- Sudden swelling of your lips, face, throat or tongue; a severe rash; and, swallowing or breathing problems. These may be signs of a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) and may be life-threatening;
- Diarrhoea that becomes severe or does not go away or stool that contains blood or mucus during or after treatment with
Zinforo. In this situation, you should not take medicines that stop or slow bowel movement.
Very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people)
- Changes in a blood test called a ‘Coombs test’ commonly seen in patients receiving this type of antibiotic. This test looks for certain antibodies which may act against your red blood cells.
Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)
- Fever
- Headache
- Feeling dizzy
- Itching, skin rash
- Diarrhoea, stomach pain
- Feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting)
- More enzymes produced by your liver (as shown in blood tests)
- Pain and irritation of the veins
- Redness, pain or swelling where the injection was given.
Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people)
- Anaemia
- Raised itchy rash (hives)
- An increase in the level of creatinine in your blood. Creatinine shows how well your kidneys are working.
- Bleeding or bruising more than usual. This may be because the level of platelets in your blood has dropped.
- Changes in tests which measure how well your blood clots.
- A decrease in the total number of white blood cells, or a certain type of white blood cells in your blood (leucopenia and neutropenia).
- Changes in your mental state such as confusion, reduced level of consciousness, abnormal movements or fits (encephalopathy) – these have occurred in people when the dose they are given is too high, particularly in people with kidney problems.
Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)
- A significant decrease in the number of certain white blood cells in your blood (agranulocytosis). You may experience fever, flu-like symptoms, sore throat, or any other infection which may be serious.
- An increase in the number of certain white blood cells in your blood (eosinophilia).
Not known (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data)
- A form of lung disease where eosinophils (a form of white blood cell) appear in the lung in increased numbers (eosinophilic pneumonia).
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet.
You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
5. how to store zinforo
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the container. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
Store below 30°C.
Store in the original package in order to protect from light.
Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. The hospital will dispose of any waste materials safely.
These measures will help to protect the environment.
6. contents of the pack and other information
What Zinforo contains
- Each vial contains 600 mg of ceftaroline fosamil.
- The other ingredient is arginine.