1 May 2026Oral drugsSource update: September 2022
Cefixime oral
Cefixime guidance for typhoid fever, selected urinary infections, gonorrhea, and second-line shigellosis treatment.
Prescription under medical supervision
This guide page is for structured reference only and does not replace a clinician, pharmacist, or emergency review. Dose choice, route choice, interactions, and safety decisions still need professional judgment.
Therapeutic action
Third-generation cephalosporin antibacterial.
Indications
- Typhoid fever.
- Acute cystitis in girls over 2 years, pregnant women, and lactating women.
- Acute pyelonephritis in adults.
- Cervicitis and urethritis due to Neisseria gonorrhoeae in combination with a treatment for chlamydia.
- Second-line treatment of shigellosis.
Forms and strengths
- 200 mg tablet.
- 100 mg/5 ml powder for oral suspension, to be reconstituted with filtered water.
Dose
Typhoid fever
- Child: 10 mg/kg, maximum 200 mg, 2 times daily.
- Adult: 200 mg 2 times daily.
Acute cystitis in girls over 2 years and shigellosis
- Child: 8 mg/kg, maximum 400 mg, once daily.
- Adult: 400 mg once daily.
Acute cystitis in pregnant and lactating women, acute pyelonephritis in adult
- Adult: 200 mg 2 times daily.
Cervicitis and urethritis due to Neisseria gonorrhoeae
- Child: 8 mg/kg, maximum 400 mg, single dose.
- Adult: 400 mg single dose.
Duration
- Typhoid fever and acute pyelonephritis: 10 to 14 days.
- Acute cystitis: 3 days for girls and 5 days for adults.
- Shigellosis: 5 days.
Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions
- Do not administer to patients with allergy to cephalosporins.
- Administer with caution to penicillin-allergic patients because cross-sensitivity may occur, and in patients with severe renal impairment by reducing dosage.
- May cause gastrointestinal disturbances, especially diarrhoea, headache, dizziness, and allergic reactions such as rash, pruritus, and fever.
- In the event of allergic reaction, stop treatment immediately.
- Pregnancy: no contra-indication.
- Breast-feeding: no contra-indication.
Source
MSF Essential drugs practical guidelines (January 2026)
This page reproduces the structured reference information for this batch while leaving out the Storage and Remarks sections.
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