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trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole; cotrimoxazole (Bactrim, Septra, Cotrim, Sulfatrim, Sulfoxatrim, Trisulfam, Uroplus)
Tradenames: Bactrim, Septra, Cotrim.
Indications:
- bacterial infections due to susceptible organisms
- urogenital infection
- urinary tract infections
- chancroid [10]
- lymphogranuloma venereum
- respiratory tract infections
- sinusitis
- pneumonia
- acute otitis media
- endocarditis
- gastroenteritis
- cholera
- typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever
- diverticulitis
- intestinal lipodystrophy
- brucellosis
- pertussis
- plague prophylaxis
- drug of choice for Stenotrophomonas maltophilia & Pseudomonas cepacia
- methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
- skin or soft tissue infections
- diabetic foot infection
- osteomyelitis
- protozoan infectons
- paracoccidioidomycosis
- toxoplasmosis
- pneumocystis pneumonia (Pneumocystis jirovecii)
- pneumocystis pneumonia prophylaxis [10]
Contraindications:
1) not active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa or anaerobes
2) many Enterococcus organisms are resistant
3) pregnancy near term [5]
- generally avoided during the first trimester
pregnancy-category C*
safety in lactation -
* pregnancy near term [5];
- may cause hyperbilitubinemia & kernicterus in newborn [5]
* first trimester of pregnancy
- folic acid antagonist
- may be associated with fetal developmental anomalies [5]
Dosage:
1) dosages in mg based upon trimethoprim
2) UTI: 1 DS BID for 3-14 days
3) chronic bronchitis 1 DS BID for 10-14 days
4) for effective tissue levels outside the urinary tract QID dosing is indicated
5) Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP):
- 5 mg/kg (based on trimethoprim) IV every 6 hours or 2 tabs DS QID
6) Pneumocystis prophylaxis: 1 double strength tab PO BID
7) serious infections: same as PCP dose
8) traveler's diarrhea: 1 DS BID for 5 days
5/1 ratio of sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim is constant in all formulations
Tabs: trimethoprim 80 mg/sulfamethoxazole 400 mg Tabs (double strength): trimethoprim 160 mg/sulfamethoxazole 800 mg
Suspension: trimethoprim 40 mg/sulfamethoxazole 200 mg/5 mL (100, 150, 200 mL)
Infusion: trimethoprim 16 mg/sulfamethoxazole 80 mg/mL (10 & 30 mL)
Dosage adjustment in renal failure:
1) creatinine clearance > 30 mL/min: use regular dose
2) creatinine clearance 15-10 mL/min: use 50% of dose
3) relatively contraindicated with creatinine clearance of < 15 mL/min
Pharmacokinetics:
1) well absorbed orally
2) well distributed to most tissues & fluid spaces
3) highly concentrated in the prostate, bile & sputum
4) CSF concentrations are 50% of serum concentrations
5) crosses placenta & distributes into breast milk
6) protein-binding 45% (TMP), 68% (SMX)
7) peak serum concentrations 1-4 hours after oral dose
7) hepatic metabolism
a) trimethoprim is metabolized to oxide & hydroxylated metabolites
b) sulfamethoxazole is N-acetylated & conjugated with glucuronide
8) trimethoprim & sulfamethoxazole are secreted in the urine
9) elimination 1/2life is about 10 hours
a) sulfamethoxazole 9 hours
b) trimethoprim 6-17 hours
c) 1/2 life of both prolonged with renal insufficiency
10) urine excretion is pH-dependent
Antimicrobial activity:
Gram positive
- Streptococcus
- Streptococcus group A
- Streptococcus group B
- Streptococcus group C
- Streptococcus group G
- Streptococcus pneumonia
- Enterococcus faecalis
- Listeria monocytogenes
- Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA)
- Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (+/-)
- Staphylococcus epidermidis (+/-)
Gram negative
- Neisseria gonorrhoeae (+/-) Neisseria meningitidis [10]
- Chlamydia
- Moraxella catarrhalis
- Haemophilus influenzae (+/-)
- Salmonella
- Shigella
- Aeromonas
- Escherichia coli
- Klebsiella species (+/-)
- Serratia marcescens (+/-)
- Pseudomonas cepacia
- Stenotrophomonas maltophilia
- Xanthomonas maltophilia
- Francisella tularensis
- Brucella species
- Legionella species
- Haemophilus ducreyi (+/-)
- Coxiella burnetii
- Enterobacter [10]
- Proteus [10]
- Morganella morganii [10]
protozoa
- Pneumocystis carinii
- Toxoplasma
Adverse effects:
1) common (> 10%)
- nausea/vomiting
- anorexia
- allergic skin reactions
- urticaria
- rash
- hypersensitivity vasculitis [5]
- exanthematous drug eruption (morbilliform exanthem)
- photosensitivity
2) less common (1-10%)
- blood dyscrasias, hepatoxicity (hepatitis), Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis
3) uncommon (< 1%)
- confusion, depression, hallucinations, seizures, fever, ataxia, erythema multiforme, stomatitis, diarrhea, pseudomembranous colitis, thrombocytopenia (immune-mediated), megaloblastic anemia, granulocytopenia, aplastic anemia, hemolysis (G6PD deficiency), serum sickness, kernicterus in neonates, interstitial nephritis
4) other [3]
- pancreatitis
- myalgias
- hyperkalemia
- crystals, insoluble in urine [7]
- may lead to acute renal failure), reversible with discontinuation of drug
- reversible renal failure (11%) [9]
- trimethoprim is known to interfere with urine creatinine excretion: increases in serum creatinine up to 0.5 mg/dL [5]
- this increase is not associated with loss of renal function [5,12]
- precipitation of acute intermittent porphyria [13]
* Adverse effects are common in patients with AIDS.
- Mild reactions may be managed with antihistamines & antipyretics
- More severe reactions require discontinuation.
Drug interactions:
1) Bactrim, Septra increase serum concentrations of:
a) sulfonylureas
b) warfarin (increased risk of bleeding) [8]
c) phenytoin (Dilantin)
2) cyclosporine:
a) decreased concentration of cyclosporine
b) increased risk of nephrotoxicity
3) mercaptopurine:
- in combination increases risk of bone marrow supression
4) Bactrim, Septra increases cytotoxic effect of methotrexate
5) didanosine: in combination increases risk of pancreatitis
6) Bactrim, Septra inhibits cyt P450 2C9
-> may increase levels of drugs metabolized by cyt P450 2C9
7) increased risk of hyperkalemia & sudden death in elderly taking ACE inhibitors or ARBs [11]
- RR=1.38, absolute risk increase 0.2% [11]
Test interactions:
- serum creatinine:
- trimethoprim inhibits tubular secretion of creatinine
- trimethoprim can increase serum creatinine up to 0.5 mg/dL*
* this increase is not associated with loss of renal function [5,12]
Mechanism of action:
1) generally bactericidal
2) sulfamethoxazole inhibits synthesis of dihydrofolate
3) trimethoprim inhibits synthesis of tetrahydrofolate by inhibiting dihydrofolate reductase
4) trimethoprim acts as a K+ sparing diuretic
Interactions
drug interactions
Related
cytochrome P450 2C9; cytochrome P450 BP-1; cytochrome P450 MP-4; S-mephenytoin-4-hydroxylase; limonene 6-monooxygenase; limonene 7-monooxygenase (CYP2C9, CYP2C10)
Pneumocystis jirovecii; Pneumocystis carinii (PCP)
Pseudomonas cepacia
Xanthomonas (Stenotrophomonas) maltophilia
General
antibiotic combination
Database Correlations
PUBCHEM correlations
References
- The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 9th ed.
Gilman et al, eds. Permagon Press/McGraw Hill, 1996
- Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 13th ed.
Companion Handbook. Isselbacher et al (eds),
McGraw-Hill Inc. NY, 1995, pg 166
- Drug Information & Medication Formulary, Veterans Affairs,
Central California Health Care System, 1st ed., Ravnan et al
eds, 1998
Department of Veterans Affairs, VA National Formulary
- Kaiser Permanente Northern California Regional Drug
Formulary, 1998
- Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 11,17, 19
American College of Physicians, Philadelphia 1998, 2015, 2022
- Prescriber's Letter 13(3): 2006
Cytochrome P450 drug interactions
Detail-Document#: 220233
(subscription needed) http://www.prescribersletter.com
- Geriatrics Review Syllabus, American Geriatrics Society,
5th edition, 2002-2004
- Fischer HD et al
Hemorrhage During Warfarin Therapy Associated With
Cotrimoxazole and Other Urinary Tract Anti-infective Agents
Arch Intern Med. 2010;170(7):617-621
PMID: 20386005
http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/170/7/617
- Fraser TN et al.
Acute kidney injury associated with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole.
J Antimicrob Chemother 2012 Feb 20
PMID: 22351681
http://jac.oxfordjournals.org/content/67/5/1271
- Deprecated Reference
- Fralick M et al
Co-trimoxazole and sudden death in patients receiving
inhibitors of renin-angiotensin system: population based study.
BMJ 2014;349:g6196
PMID: 25359996
http://www.bmj.com/content/349/bmj.g6196
- Etminan M, Brophy JM
Antibiotics and sudden death in adults taking renin-
angiotensin system blockers.
BMJ 2014;349:g6242
PMID: 25360034
http://www.bmj.com/content/349/bmj.g6242
- Gentry CA, Nguyen AT.
An evaluation of hyperkalemia and serum creatinine elevation
associated with different dosage levels of outpatient
trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole with and without concomitant
medications.
Ann Pharmacother. 2013 Dec;47(12):1618-26.
PMID: 24259630
- NEJM Knowledge+
Components
sulfamethoxazole [SMX] (Gantanol, Aposulfatrim, Bactoreduct)
trimethoprim; TMP (Proloprim, Trimpex)