Definition

Noun: A broad-spectrum, third-generation cephalosporin antibiotic. It is administered parenterally (by injection or infusion) and is primarily used to treat moderate to serious bacterial infections, particularly those caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Usage

• Medical Context: This word is used exclusively in medical, pharmaceutical, and clinical settings. It refers to the specific antibiotic drug substance.
• Administration: It is typically used with verbs like administer, prescribe, give, or infuse.
• Purpose: It is used to indicate the treatment of specific infections.

Examples

• The physician decided to initiate ceftazidime for the patient's hospital-acquired pneumonia.
• Ceftazidime is often the drug of choice for infections where is suspected.
• The standard dose of ceftazidime was adjusted for the patient's renal function.

Advanced Usage

• Resistance: In discussions of antimicrobial resistance, "ceftazidime-resistant" is a common term to describe bacteria not killed by this drug.
  • The lab report showed a ceftazidime-resistant strain of E. coli.
• Combination Therapy: It is frequently mentioned in combination with other antibiotics, such as aminoglycosides.
  • The severe infection was treated with a combination of ceftazidime and amikacin.

Variants and Related Words

• Ceftazidime pentahydrate: The common chemical form of the drug used in pharmaceutical preparations.
• Fortaz™, Tazicef™: Brand names for ceftazidime.
• Cephalosporin: The broader class of antibiotics to which ceftazidime belongs.

Synonyms

• Antibiotic: (General term) A substance that inhibits or destroys bacteria.
• Cephalosporin: (Specific class) A type of β-lactam antibiotic.

Note: There are no direct, one-word synonyms for this specific drug name in common usage. In clinical shorthand, it may be referred to by its brand names or abbreviated as "CAZ" or "CEF."

Related Phrases / Phrasal Verbs

(Not applicable for this technical drug name. It is not used with phrasal verbs.)

Related Idioms

(Not applicable for this technical term.)

Noun

1. a parenteral cephalosporin (trade names Fortaz and Tazicef) used to treat moderate infections