Rocephin Should Not Be Administered with Calcium in Patients of Any Age

Rocephin (ceftriaxone) and intravenous calcium-containing solutions should not be given within 48 hours of each other — "even via different infusion lines at different sites" — Roche has advised healthcare professionals in a letter to the FDA.

The warning applies to treatment in patients of any age. Previously, the manufacturer had warned about mixing ceftriaxone with calcium in newborns, given reports of at least eight fatal reactions with calcium-ceftriaxone precipitates in the lungs and kidneys. To date, there have been no reports of such reactions in older patients.