Ampicillin and sulbactam Injection

Your doctor will check you closely while you are receiving ampicillin and sulbactam. This will allow your doctor to see if the medicine is working properly and to decide if you should continue to receive it. Blood tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.

ampicillin and sulbactam may cause serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis or certain skin conditions (eg, acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome). These reactions can be life-threatening and require immediate medical attention. Call your doctor right away if you have a rash, itching, blistering, peeling, or loosening of the skin, fever or chills, trouble breathing or swallowing, or any swelling of your hands, face, mouth, or throat while you are using ampicillin and sulbactam.

Check with your doctor right away if you have pain or tenderness in the upper stomach, pale stools, dark urine, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, or yellow eyes or skin. These could be symptoms of a serious liver problem.

Ampicillin and sulbactam combination may cause diarrhea, and in some cases it can be severe. It may occur 2 months or more after you stop using ampicillin and sulbactam. Do not take any medicine to treat diarrhea without first checking with your doctor. Diarrhea medicines may make the diarrhea worse or make it last longer. If you have any questions about this or if mild diarrhea continues or gets worse, check with your doctor.

ampicillin and sulbactam may decrease the effects of some oral contraceptives (birth control pills). To avoid an unwanted pregnancy, it is a good idea to use additional contraceptive measures with your pills (eg, condoms, a diaphragm, or a contraceptive foam or jelly) while using ampicillin and sulbactam.

Before you have any medical tests, tell the medical doctor in charge that you are using ampicillin and sulbactam. The results of some tests may be affected by ampicillin and sulbactam.

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.

Ampicillin is similar to benzyl penicillin in its bactericidal action against susceptible organisms during the stage of active multiplication. It acts through the inhibition of cell wall mucopeptide biosynthesis. Ampicillin has a broad spectrum of bactericidal activity against many gram-positive and gram-negative aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. (Ampicillin is, however, degraded by beta-lactamases and therefore the spectrum of activity does not normally include organisms which produce these enzymes.)

A wide range of beta-lactamases found in microorganisms resistant to penicillins and cephalosporins have been shown in biochemical studies with cell free bacterial systems to be irreversibly inhibited by sulbactam. Although sulbactam alone possesses little useful antibacterial activity except against the Neisseriaceae, whole organism studies have shown that sulbactam restores ampicillin activity against beta-lactamase producing strains. In particular, sulbactam has good inhibitory activity against the clinically important plasmid mediated beta-lactamases most frequently responsible for transferred drug resistance. Sulbactam has no effect on the activity of ampicillin against ampicillin susceptible strains.

The presence of sulbactam in the ampicillin and sulbactam for injection formulation effectively extends the antibacterial spectrum of ampicillin to include many bacteria normally resistant to it and to other beta-lactam antibacterials. Thus, ampicillin and sulbactam for injection possesses the properties of a broad-spectrum antibacterial and a beta-lactamase inhibitor.

While in vitro studies have demonstrated the susceptibility of most strains of the following organisms, clinical efficacy for infections other than those included in the INDICATIONS AND USAGE section has not been documented.

Gram-Positive Bacteria

Staphylococcus aureus (beta-lactamase and non-beta-lactamase producing), Staphylococcus epidermidis (beta-lactamase and non-beta-lactamase producing), Staphylococcus saprophyticus (beta-lactamase and non-beta-lactamase producing), Streptococcus faecalis† (Enterococcus), Streptococcus pneumoniae† (formerly D. pneumoniae), Streptococcus pyogenes†, Streptococcus viridans†.

Gram-Negative Bacteria

Haemophilus influenzae (beta-lactamase and non-beta-lactamase producing), Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis (beta-lactamase and non-beta-lactamase producing), Escherichia coli (beta-lactamase and non-beta-lactamase producing), Klebsiella species (all known strains are beta-lactamase producing), Proteus mirabilis (beta-lactamase and non-beta-lactamase producing), Proteus vulgaris, Providencia rettgeri, Providencia stuartii, Morganella morganii, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (beta-lactamase and non-beta-lactamase producing).

Anaerobes

Clostridium species†, Peptococcus species†, Peptostreptococcus species, Bacteroides species, including B. fragilis.

† These are not beta-lactamase producing strains and, therefore, are susceptible to ampicillin alone.

Susceptibility Testing

For the disk diffusion method of susceptibility testing, a 20 mcg (10 mcg ampicillin + 10 mcg sulbactam) disk should be used. The standardized procedure1,2 requires the use of a standardized inoculum concentration. With this procedure, a report from the laboratory of “Susceptible” indicates that the infecting organism is likely to respond to ampicillin and sulbactam for injection therapy and a report of “Resistant” indicates that the infecting organism is not likely to respond to therapy. An “Intermediate” susceptibility report suggests that the infecting organism would be susceptible to ampicillin and sulbactam if a higher dosage is used or if the infection is confined to tissues or fluids (e.g., urine) in which high antibacterial levels are attained.

Broth, agar, microdilution or equivalent methods may be used to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) value for susceptibility of bacterial isolates using standardized methods, inoculums and concentrations of ampicillin/sulbactam2,3,4.

The recommended dilution method employs a constant ampicillin/sulbactam ratio of 2:1 in all tubes with increasing concentrations of ampicillin. MIC's are reported in terms of ampicillin concentration in the presence of sulbactam at a constant 2 parts ampicillin to 1 part sulbactam.

General

A high percentage of patients with mononucleosis who receive ampicillin develop a skin rash. Thus, ampicillin class antibacterials should not be administered to patients with mononucleosis. In patients treated with ampicillin and sulbactam for injection the possibility of superinfections with mycotic or bacterial pathogens should be kept in mind during therapy. If superinfections occur (usually involving Pseudomonas or Candida), the drug should be discontinued and/or appropriate therapy instituted.

Prescribing ampicillin and sulbactam for injection in the absence of proven or strongly suspected bacterial infection or a prophylactic indication is unlikely to provide benefit to the patient and increases the risk of the development of drug-resistant bacteria.

Information for Patients

Patients should be counseled that antibacterial drugs including ampicillin and sulbactam for injection should only be used to treat bacterial infections. They do not treat viral infections (e.g., the common cold). When ampicillin and sulbactam for injection is prescribed to treat a bacterial infection, patients should be told that although it is common to feel better early in the course of therapy, the medication should be taken exactly as directed. Skipping doses or not completing the full course of therapy may (1) decrease the effectiveness of the immediate treatment and (2) increase the likelihood that bacteria will develop resistance and will not be treatable by ampicillin and sulbactam for injection or other antibacterial drugs in the future.

Diarrhea is a common problem caused by antibacterials which usually ends when the antibacterial is discontinued. Sometimes after starting treatment with antibacterials, patients can develop watery and bloody stools (with or without stomach cramps and fever) even as late as two or more months after having taken the last dose of the antibacterial. If this occurs, patients should contact their physician as soon as possible.

Drug Interactions

Probenecid decreases the renal tubular secretion of ampicillin and sulbactam. Concurrent use of probenecid with ampicillin and sulbactam for injection may result in increased and prolonged blood levels of ampicillin and sulbactam. The concurrent administration of allopurinol and ampicillin increases substantially the incidence of rashes in patients receiving both drugs as compared to patients receiving ampicillin alone. It is not known whether this potentiation of ampicillin rashes is due to allopurinol or the hyperuricemia present in these patients. There are no data with ampicillin and sulbactam for injection and allopurinol administered concurrently. Ampicillin and sulbactam for injection and aminoglycosides should not be reconstituted together due to the in vitro inactivation of aminoglycosides by the ampicillin component of ampicillin and sulbactam for injection.

Drug/Laboratory Test Interactions

Administration of ampicillin and sulbactam for injection will result in high urine concentration of ampicillin. High urine concentrations of ampicillin may result in false positive reactions when testing for the presence of glucose in urine using Clinitest™, Benedict's Solution or Fehling's Solution. It is recommended that glucose tests based on enzymatic glucose oxidase reactions (such as Clinistix™ or Testape™) be used. Following administration of ampicillin to pregnant women, a transient decrease in plasma concentration of total conjugated estriol, estriol-glucuronide, conjugated estrone and estradiol has been noted. This effect may also occur with ampicillin and sulbactam for injection.

Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment of Fertility

Long-term studies in animals have not been performed to evaluate carcinogenic or mutagenic potential.

Pregnancy

Reproduction studies have been performed in mice, rats, and rabbits at doses up to ten (10) times the human dose and have revealed no evidence of impaired fertility or harm to the fetus due to ampicillin and sulbactam for injection. There are, however, no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women. Because animal reproduction studies are not always predictive of human response, this drug should be used during pregnancy only if clearly needed (see PRECAUTIONS, Drug/Laboratory Test Interactions section).

Labor and Delivery

Studies in guinea pigs have shown that intravenous administration of ampicillin decreased the uterine tone, frequency of contractions, height of contractions, and duration of contractions. However, it is not known whether the use of ampicillin and sulbactam for injection in humans during labor or delivery has immediate or delayed adverse effects on the fetus, prolongs the duration of labor, or increases the likelihood that forceps delivery or other obstetrical intervention or resuscitation of the newborn will be necessary.

Nursing Mothers

Low concentrations of ampicillin and sulbactam are excreted in the milk; therefore, caution should be exercised when ampicillin and sulbactam for injection is administered to a nursing woman.

Pediatric Use

The safety and effectiveness of ampicillin and sulbactam for injection have been established for pediatric patients one year of age and older for skin and skin structure infections as approved in adults. Use of ampicillin and sulbactam in pediatric patients is supported by evidence from adequate and well-controlled studies in adults with additional data from pediatric pharmacokinetic studies, a controlled clinical trial conducted in pediatric patients and post-marketing adverse events surveillance (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, INDICATIONS AND USAGE, ADVERSE REACTIONS, DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION, and CLINICAL STUDIES sections).

The safety and effectiveness of ampicillin and sulbactam for injection have not been established for pediatric patients for intra-abdominal infections.

Adult Patients

Ampicillin and sulbactam for injection is generally well tolerated. The following adverse reactions have been reported in clinical trials.

Local Adverse Reactions

Systemic Adverse Reactions

The most frequently reported adverse reactions were diarrhea in 3% of the patients and rash in less than 2% of the patients.

Additional systemic reactions reported in less than 1% of the patients were: itching, nausea, vomiting, candidiasis, fatigue, malaise, headache, chest pain, flatulence, abdominal distension, glossitis, urine retention, dysuria, edema, facial swelling, erythema, chills, tightness in throat, substernal pain, epistaxis and mucosal bleeding.

Pediatric Patients

Available safety data for pediatric patients treated with ampicillin and sulbactam for injection demonstrate a similar adverse events profile to those observed in adult patients. Additionally, atypical lymphocytosis has been observed in one pediatric patient receiving ampicillin and sulbactam for injection.

Adverse Laboratory Changes

Adverse laboratory changes without regard to drug relationship that were reported during clinical trials were:

Hepatic: Increased AST (SGOT), ALT (SGPT), alkaline phosphatase, and LDH.

Hematologic: Decreased hemoglobin, hematocrit, RBC, WBC, neutrophils, lymphocytes, platelets and increased lymphocytes, monocytes, basophils, eosinophils, and platelets.

Blood Chemistry: Decreased serum albumin and total proteins.

Renal: Increased BUN and creatinine.

Urinalysis: Presence of RBC's and hyaline casts in urine.

Postmarketing Experience

In addition to adverse reactions reported from clinical trials, the following have been identified during post-marketing use of ampicillin and sulbactam for injection or other products containing ampicillin. Because they are reported voluntarily from a population of unknown size, estimates of frequency cannot be made. These events have been chosen for inclusion due to a combination of their seriousness, frequency, or potential causal connection to ampicillin and sulbactam for injection.

Blood and Lymphatic System Disorders

Hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenic purpura, and agranulocytosis have been reported. These reactions are usually reversible on discontinuation of therapy and are believed to be hypersensitivity phenomena. Some individuals have developed positive direct Coombs Tests during treatment with ampicillin and sulbactam for injection, as with other beta-lactam antibacterials.

Gastrointestinal Disorders

Cholestatic hepatitis, cholestasis, hyperbilirubinemia, jaundice, abnormal hepatic function, gastritis, stomatitis, black “hairy” tongue and Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea (see CONTRAINDICATIONS and WARNINGS sections).

General Disorders and Administration Site Conditions

Injection site reaction.

Immune System Disorders

Serious and fatal hypersensitivity (anaphylactic) reactions (see WARNINGS section).

Nervous System Disorders

Convulsion

Renal and Urinary Disorders

Tubulointerstitial nephritis

Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue Disorders

Toxic epidermal necrolysis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP), urticaria, erythema multiforme, and exfoliative dermatitis (see CONTRAINDICATIONS and WARNINGS sections).

To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Sagent Pharmaceuticals, Inc. at 1-866-625-1618 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.

The pharmacy bulk package is for preparation of solutions for IV infusion only. Ampicillin and sulbactam for injection should be administered by slow intravenous injection over at least 10 to 15 minutes or can also be delivered in greater dilutions with 50 to 100 mL of a compatible diluent as an intravenous infusion over 15 to 30 minutes.

The recommended adult dosage of ampicillin and sulbactam for injection is 1.5 grams (1 gram ampicillin as the sodium salt plus 0.5 gram sulbactam as the sodium salt) to 3 grams (2 grams ampicillin as the sodium salt plus 1 gram sulbactam as the sodium salt) every six hours. This 1.5 to 3 gram range represents the total of ampicillin content plus the sulbactam content of ampicillin and sulbactam for injection, and corresponds to a range of 1 gram ampicillin/0.5 gram sulbactam to 2 grams ampicillin/1 gram sulbactam. The total dose of sulbactam should not exceed 4 grams per day.

Pediatric Patients 1 Year of Age or Older

The recommended daily dose of ampicillin and sulbactam for injection in pediatric patients is 300 mg per kg of body weight administered via intravenous infusion in equally divided doses every 6 hours. This 300 mg/kg/day dosage represents the total ampicillin content plus the sulbactam content of ampicillin and sulbactam for injection and corresponds to 200 mg ampicillin/100 mg sulbactam per kg per day. The safety and efficacy of ampicillin and sulbactam for injection administered via intramuscular injection in pediatric patients have not been established. Pediatric patients weighing 40 kg or more should be dosed according to adult recommendations, and the total dose of sulbactam should not exceed 4 grams per day. The course of intravenous therapy should not routinely exceed 14 days. In clinical trials, most children received a course of oral antimicrobials following initial treatment with intravenous ampicillin and sulbactam for injection (see CLINICAL STUDIES section).

Impaired Renal Function

In patients with impairment of renal function the elimination kinetics of ampicillin and sulbactam are similarly affected, hence the ratio of one to the other will remain constant whatever the renal function. The dose of ampicillin and sulbactam for injection in such patients should be administered less frequently in accordance with the usual practice for ampicillin and according to the following recommendations:

When only serum creatinine is available, the following formula (based on sex, weight, and age of the patient) may be used to convert this value into creatinine clearance. The serum creatinine should represent a steady state of renal function.

Males       weight (kg) x (140 - age)
                      72 x serum creatinine

Females       0.85 x above value

When concomitant therapy with aminoglycosides is indicated, ampicillin and sulbactam for injection and aminoglycosides should be reconstituted and administered separately, due to the in vitro inactivation of aminoglycosides by any of the aminopenicillins.

Ampicillin and Sulbactam for Injection, USP Pharmacy Bulk Package is supplied as follows:

Ampicillin and Sulbactam for Injection, USP is a sterile white to off-white dry powder supplied in glass bottles.

Ampicillin and Sulbactam for Injection, USP is also available as follows:

Storage Conditions

Prior to reconstitution store at 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F); excursions permitted between 15° and 30°C (59° and 86°F). [See USP Controlled Room Temperature.]

Sterile, Nonpyrogenic, Preservative-free.
The container closure is not made with natural rubber latex.

1. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). Performance Standards for Antimicrobial Disk Diffusion Susceptibility Tests; Approved Standard – Eleventh Edition. CLSI document M02-A11. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, 950 West Valley Road, Suite 2500, Wayne, Pennsylvania 19087, USA, 2012.
2. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). Performance Standards for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing; Twenty-fourth Informational Supplement. CLSI document M100-S24. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, 950 West Valley Road, Suite 2500, Wayne, Pennsylvania 19087, USA, 2014.
3. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). Methods for Dilution Antimicrobial Susceptibility Tests for Bacteria that Grow Aerobically; Approved Standard – Ninth Edition. CLSI document M07-A9. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, 950 West Valley Road, Suite 2500, Wayne, Pennsylvania 19087, USA, 2012.
4. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). Methods for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Anaerobic Bacteria; Approved Standard – Eighth Edition. CLSI document M11-A8. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, 950 West Valley Road, Suite 2500, Wayne, Pennsylvania 19087, USA, 2012.

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Made in India
©2017 Sagent Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

March 2017

SAGENT Pharmaceuticals®

PACKAGE LABEL – PRINCIPAL DISPLAY PANEL – Bottle Label

NDC 25021-188-99

Rx only

Ampicillin and Sulbactam for Injection, USP

15 grams per Pharmacy Bulk Package

PHARMACY BULK PACKAGE –

NOT FOR DIRECT INFUSION

Equivalent to 10 grams of ampicillin

plus 5 grams of sulbactam

For Intravenous Use