title: Evaluation of a potential clinical interaction between ceftriaxone and calcium.
abstract: In April 2009, the FDA retracted a warning asserting that ceftriaxone and intravenous calcium products should not be coadministered to any patient to prevent precipitation events leading to end-organ damage. Following that announcement, we sought to evaluate if the retraction was justified. A search of the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System was conducted to identify any ceftriaxone-calcium interactions that resulted in serious adverse drug events. Ceftazidime-calcium was used as a comparator agent. One hundred four events with ceftriaxone-calcium and 99 events with ceftazidime-calcium were identified. Adverse drug events were recorded according to the listed description of drug involvement (primary or secondary suspect) and were interpreted as probable, possible, unlikely, or unrelated. For ceftriaxone-calcium-related adverse events, 7.7% and 20.2% of the events were classified as probable and possible for embolism, respectively. Ceftazidime-calcium resulted in fewer probable embolic events (4%) but more possible embolic events (30.3%). Among cases that considered ceftriaxone or ceftazidime and calcium as the primary or secondary drug, one case was classified as a probable embolic event. That patient received ceftriaxone-calcium and died, although an attribution of causality was not possible. Our analysis suggests a lack of support for the occurrence of ceftriaxone-calcium precipitation events in adults. The results of the current analysis reinforce the revised FDA recommendations suggesting that patients >28 days old may receive ceftriaxone and calcium sequentially and provide a transparent and reproducible methodology for such evaluations.
authors.affiliation: Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515, USA.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Steadman
authors.forename: Dennis W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Raisch
authors.forename: Charles L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Esterly
authors.forename: Tischa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Postelnick
authors.forename: June M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: McKoy
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Trifilio
authors.forename: Paul R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Yarnold
authors.forename: Marc H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Scheetz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016907:Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002118:Calcium / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D002443:Ceftriaxone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D011232:Chemical Precipitation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004347:Drug Interactions; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D004617:Embolism / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014481:United States; D014486:United States Food and Drug Administration; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002443:Ceftriaxone; D002118:Calcium