Augmentin Dosage for a 7-Year-Old Child
For a 7-year-old child, the recommended Augmentin dosage depends on the child's weight and infection severity: for mild-to-moderate infections, use 25 mg/kg/day (amoxicillin component) divided every 12 hours or 20 mg/kg/day divided every 8 hours; for severe infections or those requiring higher dosing (such as resistant organisms), use 45 mg/kg/day divided every 12 hours or 40 mg/kg/day divided every 8 hours. 1
Weight-Based Dosing Algorithm
For children weighing less than 40 kg (which includes most 7-year-olds):
Mild-to-Moderate Infections
- 25 mg/kg/day divided every 12 hours (twice daily), OR
- 20 mg/kg/day divided every 8 hours (three times daily) 1
Severe Infections or Resistant Pathogens
- 45 mg/kg/day divided every 12 hours (twice daily), OR
- 40 mg/kg/day divided every 8 hours (three times daily) 1
Practical Dosing with 250 mg/5 mL Suspension
If using the 250 mg/5 mL oral suspension formulation:
For a typical 7-year-old weighing approximately 23 kg:
- Mild-to-moderate infections: 5.75 mL (287.5 mg) twice daily, OR 3.8 mL (190 mg) three times daily 1
- Severe infections: 10.4 mL (520 mg) twice daily, OR 7 mL (350 mg) three times daily 1
For a 7-year-old weighing approximately 30 kg:
- Mild-to-moderate infections: 7.5 mL (375 mg) twice daily, OR 5 mL (250 mg) three times daily 1
- Severe infections: 13.5 mL (675 mg) twice daily, OR 9 mL (450 mg) three times daily 1
Clinical Context for Dosing Selection
Choose the higher dosing regimen (45 mg/kg/day) when:
- Treating acute otitis media with risk factors for resistant organisms 2
- Managing infections in areas with high rates of penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae 3
- Treating persistent or recurrent infections 2
- Managing lower respiratory tract infections 1
The standard dosing regimen (25 mg/kg/day) is appropriate for:
- Uncomplicated ear, nose, and throat infections 1
- Skin and skin structure infections 1
- Genitourinary tract infections 1
Administration Guidelines
- Administer at the start of meals to minimize gastrointestinal intolerance 1
- Shake the oral suspension well before each use 1
- Continue treatment for minimum 48-72 hours beyond symptom resolution or evidence of bacterial eradication 1
- For Streptococcus pyogenes infections, treat for at least 10 days to prevent acute rheumatic fever 1
Important Considerations
The twice-daily dosing regimen offers advantages:
- Improved compliance compared to three-times-daily dosing (82.8% vs 73.3% compliance) 4
- Similar efficacy to three-times-daily regimen 4
- Trend toward lower incidence of drug-related adverse events, particularly diarrhea (7.2% vs 10.7%) 4
Common pitfall to avoid: Do not use the 875 mg tablet formulation in children, as it is designed for adults and adolescents weighing more than 40 kg 1. The oral suspension provides more accurate weight-based dosing for pediatric patients 5.
Storage after reconstitution: Refrigeration is preferable but not required; discard any unused suspension after 14 days 1.