What are the common drug dosages for pediatrics?

From the Guidelines

Pediatric medication dosing should be carefully calculated based on a child's weight, age, and specific condition, with common medications including amoxicillin (50 mg per kg once daily, maximum 1,000 mg) and acetaminophen (10-15 mg/kg every 4-6 hours, maximum 5 doses daily) 1. When determining the appropriate dosage for pediatric patients, it is crucial to consider the child's weight and age to ensure accurate calculation.

• Common pediatric medications and their dosages include:
  • Amoxicillin: 50 mg per kg once daily (maximum 1,000 mg) for bacterial infections 1
  • Acetaminophen: 10-15 mg/kg every 4-6 hours (maximum 5 doses daily) for pain and fever management
  • Ibuprofen: 5-10 mg/kg every 6-8 hours for children over 6 months for pain and fever management
• Weight-based dosing is essential because children's metabolism differs from adults, affecting drug clearance and distribution 1.
• Liquid formulations are preferred for infants and young children, with doses measured using oral syringes or calibrated droppers for accuracy.
• Medication administration timing should consider school schedules for school-aged children to ensure adherence.
• Parents should be educated about proper measurement techniques, potential side effects, and when to contact healthcare providers.
• Never use adult medications or dosing for children without medical guidance, as this can lead to serious adverse effects 1. Always verify current dosing guidelines before administration, as recommendations may change, and consult the most recent and highest quality studies for guidance 1.

From the FDA Drug Label

In Pediatric Patients over 3 Months of Age, 20 to 45 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 8 to 12 hours. The upper dose for neonates and infants aged 3 months or younger is 30 mg/kg/day divided every 12 hours. Table 1 (12 weeks) n 40 kg Recommended Dosage for Pediatric Patients Aged 3 Months and Older and Weight Less than 40 kg Ear/Nose/Throat Skin/Skin Structure Genitourinary Tract Mild/ Moderate 500 mg every 12 hours or 250 mg every 8 hours 25 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 12 hours or 20 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 8 hours Severe 875 mg every 12 hours or 500 mg every 8 hours 45 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 12 hours or 40 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 8 hours Lower Respiratory Tract Mild/ Moderate or Severe 875 mg every 12 hours or 500 mg every 8 hours 45 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 12 hours or 40 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 8 hours

The common drug dosages for pediatrics are:

• For patients over 3 months of age: 20 to 45 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 8 to 12 hours.
• For neonates and infants aged 3 months or younger: 30 mg/kg/day divided every 12 hours.
• For patients aged 3 months and older and weight less than 40 kg:
  • Mild/Moderate infections:
    • Ear/Nose/Throat: 500 mg every 12 hours or 250 mg every 8 hours or 25 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 12 hours or 20 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 8 hours
    • Skin/Skin Structure: 25 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 12 hours or 20 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 8 hours
    • Genitourinary Tract: 25 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 12 hours or 20 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 8 hours
  • Severe infections:
    • Ear/Nose/Throat: 875 mg every 12 hours or 500 mg every 8 hours or 45 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 12 hours or 40 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 8 hours
    • Skin/Skin Structure: 45 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 12 hours or 40 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 8 hours
    • Genitourinary Tract: 45 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 12 hours or 40 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 8 hours
    • Lower Respiratory Tract: 875 mg every 12 hours or 500 mg every 8 hours or 45 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 12 hours or 40 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 8 hours 2

From the Research

Common Drug Dosages for Pediatrics

There are various factors to consider when determining common drug dosages for pediatrics, including the patient's weight, age, and medical condition.

• The dosage of ACE inhibitors, such as captopril and enalapril, can range from 0.3 to 1.5 mg/kg per day and 0.1 to 0.5 mg/kg per day, respectively, for children with heart failure 3.
• For buccal dosage forms, the development of appropriate dosage forms for pediatric patients needs to take into account several aspects, including palatability and acceptance 4.
• Physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling and simulation can be used to determine pediatric dose, with pediatric dose data available for 31 small molecule drugs 5.
• Strategies for implementing pediatric dose standardization include selecting medications to standardize, calculating appropriate standardized doses, preparing ready-to-use products, and supplying the products to the patient 6.
• Medication dosing safety for pediatric patients in the Emergency Medical Services setting is critically important, with the need for weight-based dosing and variability in medication concentrations available in the EMS setting requiring EMS providers to perform complex calculations to derive the appropriate dose to deliver 7.