Cefuroxime Dosing for a 2-Year-Old, 10 kg Patient
For this 2-year-old patient weighing 10 kg, administer cefuroxime 100-150 mg/kg/day divided into 3 doses (approximately 330-500 mg every 8 hours), which translates to 330-500 mg IV every 8 hours for this specific patient. 1
Weight-Based Dosing Calculation
- The guideline-recommended dose for pediatric patients is 100-150 mg/kg/day divided into 3 doses 1
- For a 10 kg child, this calculates to:
- 1000-1500 mg total daily dose
- Divided every 8 hours = 330-500 mg per dose
- The maximum daily dose should not exceed 4-6 g/day 1
Route and Frequency
- Intravenous administration is preferred for hospitalized pediatric patients with serious infections 2
- Dosing interval: every 8 hours (three times daily) 1, 2
- For severe infections or pneumonia, use the higher end of the dosing range (150 mg/kg/day) 3
Clinical Context Considerations
- For suspected bacterial pneumonia, the established regimen is 75 mg/kg/day divided every 8 hours (250 mg every 8 hours for this patient), which has proven safe and effective 3
- For more severe infections, increase to 100-150 mg/kg/day as indicated in the guidelines 1
- Cefuroxime achieves adequate serum concentrations (mean peak 29.1 mcg/mL after 25 mg/kg IV dose) and tissue penetration for common pediatric pathogens 3
Important Caveats
- Neonates require different dosing: 50 mg/kg twice daily (every 12 hours) due to prolonged half-life in the first week of life 4
- This patient at 2 years old is beyond the neonatal period and should receive the standard pediatric dosing 1
- Monitor for clinical improvement within 3-5 days: mean time to defervescence is 3.1 days for pneumonia 3
- Eosinophilia may occur but is generally benign 3