Patient Leaflet Updated 04-Aug-2022 | Merck Sharp & Dohme (UK) Limited
INVANZ 1g powder for concentrate for solution for infusion
INVANZ® 1 g powder for concentrate for solution for infusion
ertapenem
1. What INVANZ is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you are given INVANZ
3. How to use INVANZ
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store INVANZ
6. Contents of the pack and other information
INVANZ contains ertapenem which is an antibiotic of the beta-lactam group. It has the ability to kill a wide range of bacteria (germs) that cause infections in various parts of the body.
INVANZ can be given to persons 3 months of age and older.
Treatment:
Your doctor has prescribed INVANZ because you or your child has one (or more) of the following types of infection:
Prevention:
Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before taking INVANZ.
During treatment, if you experience an allergic reaction (such as swelling of the face, tongue or throat, difficulty in breathing or swallowing, skin rash), tell your doctor straight away as you may need urgent medical treatment.
While antibiotics including INVANZ kill certain bacteria, other bacteria and fungi may continue to grow more than normal. This is called overgrowth. Your doctor will monitor you for overgrowth and treat you if necessary.
It is important that you tell your doctor if you have diarrhoea before, during or after your treatment with INVANZ. This is because you may have a condition known as colitis (an inflammation of the bowel). Do not take any medicine to treat diarrhoea without first checking with your doctor.
Tell your doctor if you are taking medicines called valproic acid or sodium valproate (see Other medicines and INVANZ below).
Tell your doctor about any medical condition you have or have had including:
Experience with INVANZ is limited in children less than two years of age. In this age group your doctor will decide on the potential benefit of its use. There is no experience in children under 3 months of age.
Tell your doctor if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.
Tell your doctor, nurse or pharmacist if you are taking medicines called valproic acid or sodium valproate (used to treat epilepsy, bipolar disorder, migraines, or schizophrenia). This is because INVANZ can affect the way some other medicines work. Your doctor will decide whether you should use INVANZ in combination with these other medicines.
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor for advice before taking this medicine.
INVANZ has not been studied in pregnant women. INVANZ should not be used during pregnancy unless your doctor decides the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the foetus.
Women who are receiving INVANZ should not breast-feed, because it has been found in human milk and the breast-fed baby may therefore be affected.
Do not drive or use any tools or machines until you know how you react to the medicine.
Certain side effects, such as dizziness and sleepiness, have been reported with INVANZ, which may affect some patients’ ability to drive or operate machinery.
This medicine contains approximately 137 mg sodium (main component of cooking / table salt) in each 1.0 g dose. This is equivalent to 6.85 % of the recommended maximum daily dietary intake of sodium for an adult.
INVANZ will always be prepared and given to you intravenously (into a vein) by a doctor or another healthcare professional.
The recommended dose of INVANZ for adults and adolescents 13 years of age and older is 1 gram (g) given once a day. The recommended dose for children 3 months to 12 years of age is 15 mg/kg given twice daily (not to exceed 1 g/day). Your doctor will decide how many days’ treatment you need.
For prevention of surgical site infections following surgery of the colon or rectum, the recommended dose of INVANZ is 1 g administered as a single intravenous dose 1 hour before surgery.
It is very important that you continue to receive INVANZ for as long as your doctor prescribes it.
If you are concerned that you may have been given too much INVANZ, contact your doctor or another healthcare professional immediately.
If you are concerned that you may have missed a dose, contact your doctor or another healthcare professional immediately.
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Since the drug has been marketed, severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), hypersensitivity syndromes (allergic reactions including 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 occur tell your doctor straight away as you may need urgent medical treatment.
Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people) side effects are:
Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people) side effects are:
Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people) side effects are:
Side effects reported with frequency not known (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data) are:
There have also been reports of changes in some laboratory blood tests.
If you experience raised or fluid-filled skin spots over a large area of your body, tell your doctor or nurse straight away.
Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people) side effects are:
Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people) side effects are:
Side effects reported with frequency not known (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data) are:
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. 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 container.
The first 2 numbers indicate the month; the next 4 numbers indicate the year.
Do not store above 25°C.
The active ingredient of INVANZ is ertapenem 1 g.
The other ingredients are: sodium bicarbonate (E500) and sodium hydroxide (E524).
INVANZ is a white to off-white, freeze-dried powder for concentrate for solution for infusion.
Solutions of INVANZ range from colourless to pale yellow. Variations of colour within this range do not affect potency.
INVANZ is supplied in packs of 1 vial or 10 vials.
Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
Marketing Authorisation Holder:
Manufacturer:
For any information about this medicine, please contact:
This leaflet was last revised in June 2022.
© 2022 Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA and its affiliates. All rights reserved.
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