reduced when it is taken with food and the medication can be taken without regard for meals. Peak levels of cefalexin occur about 1 hour after administration. Maximal levels of cefalexin increase approximately linearly over a dose range of 250 to 1,000 mg. Like most other cephalosporins, cefalexin is not metabolized or otherwise inactivated in the body. The elimination half-life of cefalexin is approximately 30 to 60 minutes in people with normal renal function. Therapeutic levels of cefalexin with oral administration are maintained for 6 to 8 hours. For this reason, cefalexin is typically administered once every 6 to 12 hours depending on the indication. More than 90% of cefalexin is excreted unchanged in the urine within 8 hours. Society and culture It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. The World Health Organization classifies cefalexin as highly important for human medicine. Names Cefalexin is the International Nonproprietary Name (INN) and the Australian Approved Name (AAN), while cephalexin is the British Approved Name (BAN) and the United States Adopted Name (USAN). Brand names for cefalexin include Keflex, Acfex, Cephalex, Ceporex, L-Xahl, Medoxine, Ospexin, Torlasporin, Bio-Cef, Panixine DisperDose, and Novo-Lexin. Veterinary uses Dogs According to Plumb's Veterinary Medication Guides, cefalexin can be used in treating skin, respiratory tract, and urinary tract infections. Specifically, it can be used to treat pyoderma in dogs. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved it for use in humans and dogs but not for other species. Like other drugs approved for human use, cefalexin may be prescribed by veterinarians for animals in certain situations. References External links 1967 introductions Cephalosporin antibiotics Eli Lilly and Company brands Enantiopure drugs World Health Organization essential medicines Wikipedia medicine articles ready to translate