Package Leaflet: Information for the User
Ertapenem Hikma1 g powder for concentrate for solution for infusion EFG
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start using this medicine because it contains important information for you.
Keep this leaflet, you may need to read it again.
If you have any further questions, ask your doctor, pharmacist or nurse.
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.
Contents of the pack
Ertapenem Hikma contains ertapenem, which is an antibiotic belonging to the group of beta-lactam antibiotics. It has the ability to destroy a wide variety of bacteria (microorganisms) that cause infections in different parts of the body.
Ertapenem Hikma can be administered to people aged 3 months and older.
Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections and are not effective against viral infections such as flu or common cold.
It is essential that you follow the instructions regarding dosage, administration interval, and treatment duration as indicated by your doctor.
Do not store or reuse this medication. If you have any leftover antibiotic after completing treatment, return it to the pharmacy for proper disposal. Do not throw away medications down the drain or in the trash.
Treatment:
Your doctor has prescribed ertapenem because you or your child suffer from one (or more) of the following types of infection:
? Infection in the abdomen
? Infection affecting the lungs (pneumonia)
? Gynecological infections
? Infections of the skin of the foot in diabetic patients
Prevention:
? Prevention of surgical wound infections in adults after colon or rectal surgery.
Do not use Ertapenem Hikma:
Warnings and precautions
Consult your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse before starting to use ertapenem.
If during treatment you experience an allergic reaction (such as swelling of the face, tongue, or throat, difficulty breathing or swallowing, skin rash), inform your doctor immediately as you may need urgent medical treatment.
Although antibiotics, including ertapenem, destroy certain bacteria, other bacteria and fungi may continue to grow more than normal. This is called bacterial overgrowth. Your doctor will monitor bacterial overgrowth and treat it if necessary.
It is essential that you inform your doctor if you have diarrhea before, during, or after your treatment with ertapenem. This is because you may suffer from a disease known as colitis (inflammation of the intestine). Do not take any medication to treat diarrhea without consulting your doctor first.
Inform your doctor if you are using medications called valproic acid or sodium valproate (see below Other medicines and Ertapenem Hikma).
Inform your doctor of any other medical condition you have or have had, including:
Children and adolescents (from 3 months to 17 years of age)
Experience with ertapenem in children under two years of age is limited. For this age group, your doctor will decide on the possible benefit of its use. There is no experience in children under 3 months of age.
Other medicines and Ertapenem Hikma
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are using, have recently used, or might use any other medicines, including those obtained without a prescription.
Tell your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse if you are using medications called valproic acid or sodium valproate (used to treat epilepsy, bipolar disorder, migraines, or schizophrenia). This is because ertapenem may affect how other medications work. Your doctor will decide if you should use ertapenem in combination with these medications.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and fertility
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, think you may be pregnant, or plan to become pregnant, consult your doctor or pharmacist before using this medicine.
Ertapenem has not been studied in pregnant women. Ertapenem should not be used during pregnancy unless your doctor decides that the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus.
Women who are receiving ertapenem should not breastfeed because it has been found in breast milk and may affect the infant.
Driving and using machines
Do not drive or use any tools or machines until you know how the medicine affects you.
Certain side effects have been reported with ertapenem, such as dizziness and somnolence, which may affect patients' ability to drive or use machines.
Ertapenem Hikma contains sodium
This medicine contains approximately 137 mg of sodium (main component of table/cooking salt) per 1.0 g dose. This is equivalent to 6.85% of the maximum daily sodium intake recommended for an adult.
Ertapenem will always be prepared and administered intravenously (in a vein) by a doctor or other healthcare professional.
The recommended dose of ertapenem for adults and adolescents 13 years of age and older is 1 gram (g) administered once a day. The recommended dose for children from 3 months to 12 years of age is 15 mg/kg, administered twice a day (not exceeding 1 g/day). Your doctor will decide how many days of treatment you need.
To prevent surgical wound infections after colon or rectal surgery, the recommended dose of ertapenem is 1 g administered as a single intravenous dose 1 hour before surgery.
It is very important that you continue to receive ertapenem for the entire time your doctor has indicated.
If you use more Ertapenem Hikma than you should
If you are concerned that you may have been given too much ertapenem, consult your doctor or another healthcare professional immediately.
In case of overdose or accidental ingestion, consult your doctor or pharmacist immediately or call the Toxicology Information Service, phone: 91 562 04 20, indicating the medication and the amount ingested.
If you forget to use Ertapenem Hikma
If you are concerned that you may have missed a dose, consult your doctor or another healthcare professional immediately.
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Adults 18 years of age and older:
Since the drug was marketed, serious allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) and hypersensitivity syndromes (allergic reactions such as skin rash, fever, abnormal blood tests) have been reported. The first signs of a severe allergic reaction may include swelling of the face and/or throat. If these symptoms appear, inform your doctor immediately as you may need urgent medical treatment.
Frequent side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10 people) are:
Uncommon side effects (may affect up to 1 in 100 people) are:
Rare side effects (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people) are:
Side effects with unknown frequency (cannot be estimated from available data) are:
Children and adolescents (from 3 months to 17 years of age):
Frequent side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10 people) are:
Uncommon side effects (may affect up to 1 in 100 people) are:
Side effects with unknown frequency (cannot be estimated from available data) are:
Reporting of side effects
If you experience any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist, even if it is possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly through the Spanish Medicines Agency's website: www.notificaram.es.
By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
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 carton.
The expiry date refers to the last day of the month shown.
Do not store above 25°C. Store in the original package.
Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines no longer required. This will help protect the environment.
Composition of Ertapenem Hikma
The active substance of Ertapenem Hikma is ertapenem
Appearance of the product and pack contents
Ertapenem Hikma is a white to yellowish lyophilized powder for concentrate for solution for infusion.
The solutions of Ertapenem Hikma range from colorless to pale yellow. Variations in color within this range do not affect efficacy.
Ertapenem Hikma is available in packs of 1 vial or 10 vials.
Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
Marketing authorization holder | Manufacturer responsible |
Hikma Farmacêutica (Portugal), S.A. Estrada do Rio da Mó 8, 8A e 8B 2705-906 Terrugem SNT, Portugal Tel.: +351 219608410 | ACS Dobfar S.p.A. Nucleo Industriale S.Atto
64100 - Teramo Italy |
You can ask for more information about this medicine from the local representative of the marketing authorization holder:
Hikma España, S.L.U.
Calle Anabel Segura nº11, Edificio A, planta 1ª, oficina 2
28108 - Alcobendas, Madrid
Spain
This medicine is authorized in the Member States of the European Economic Area under the following names:
France: Ertapenem Hikma 1 g, powder for solution for infusion
Italy: Ertapenem Hikma 1 g powder for concentrate for solution for infusion
Portugal: Ertapenem Hikma 1 g
Spain: Ertapenem Hikma 1 g powder for concentrate for solution for infusion EFG
United Kingdom: Ertapenem 1 g powder for concentrate for solution for infusion
Date of last revision of this leaflet: February 2023
Detailed information on this medicine is available on the website of the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) http://www.aemps.gob.es/.
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This information is intended only for healthcare professionals:
Instructions for reconstituting and diluting Ertapenem Hikma:
For single use.
Preparation for intravenous administration:
Ertapenem Hikmamust be reconstituted and then diluted before administration.
Adults and adolescents (from 13 to 17 years of age)
Reconstitution:
Reconstitute the contents of the 1 g vial of Ertapenem Hikma with 10 ml of water for injections or 9 mg/ml (0.9%) sodium chloride solution to obtain a reconstituted solution of approximately 100 mg/ml. Shake well to dissolve.
Dilution
For a 50 ml bag of diluent: For a dose of 1 g, immediately transfer the contents of the reconstituted vial to a 50 ml bag of 9 mg/ml (0.9%) sodium chloride solution;
For a 50 ml vial of diluent: For a dose of 1 g, remove 10 ml from a 50 ml vial of 9 mg/ml (0.9%) sodium chloride solution and discard. Transfer the contents of the 1 g vial of Ertapenem Hikma reconstituted to the 50 ml vial of 9 mg/ml (0.9%) sodium chloride solution.
Infusion
Infuse over a period of 30 minutes.
Children (from 3 months to 12 years of age)
Reconstitution
Reconstitute the contents of the 1 g vial of Ertapenem Hikma with 10 ml of water for injection or 9 mg/ml (0.9%) sodium chloride solution to obtain a reconstituted solution of approximately 100 mg/ml. Shake well to dissolve.
Dilution
For a bag of diluent: transfer a volume equivalent to 15 mg/kg body weight (not exceeding 1 g/day) to a bag of 9 mg/ml (0.9%) sodium chloride solution, for a final concentration of 20 mg/ml or less; or For a vial of diluent: transfer a volume equivalent to 15 mg/kg body weight (not exceeding 1 g/day) to a vial of 9 mg/ml (0.9%) sodium chloride solution, for a final concentration of 20 mg/ml or less.
Infusion
Infuse over a period of 30 minutes.
The reconstituted solution must be diluted in 9 mg/ml (0.9%) sodium chloride solution immediately after preparation. The solutions are physically and chemically stable for 6 hours at room temperature (25°C) or for 24 hours between 2 and 8°C (in the refrigerator). From a microbiological point of view, the diluted solutions should be used immediately. If not used immediately, the in-use storage times are the responsibility of the user and normally should not exceed 24 hours between 2 and 8°C, unless the reconstitution has been carried out under controlled and validated aseptic conditions.
Once removed from the refrigerator, the solutions should be used within 4 hours. Do not freeze the reconstituted solutions.
Whenever possible, the reconstituted solutions should be inspected visually for particles or discoloration before administration. The solutions of Ertapenem Hikma range from colorless to pale yellow. A variation in color within this range does not affect efficacy.
The disposal of unused medicine and all materials that have come into contact with it will be carried out in accordance with local regulations.