Cefuroxime Dosing for UTI in a 5-Year-Old, 17 kg Child
For a 5-year-old child weighing 17 kg with a urinary tract infection, administer cefuroxime 8 mg/kg/day, which equals approximately 136 mg daily, given as 68 mg twice daily (or rounded to 70 mg twice daily for practical administration). 1
Dosing Calculation and Administration
The FDA-approved pediatric dose for cefixime (which is the actual drug referenced in the label, not "cefoxime") for uncomplicated UTI is 8 mg/kg/day for children 6 months or older 1
For this 17 kg child: 8 mg/kg/day × 17 kg = 136 mg daily 1
This can be administered as:
- Single daily dose of 136 mg, OR
- Divided into two doses of 68 mg every 12 hours 1
Using the available suspension concentrations, this translates to approximately 7 mL daily of the 100 mg/5 mL suspension or 3.5 mL daily of the 200 mg/5 mL suspension 1
Important Clarification
Note: "Cefoxime" appears to be a misspelling. The drug label provided is for cefixime, which is a third-generation oral cephalosporin specifically indicated for uncomplicated UTI in pediatric patients 6 months and older 1. If you meant cefuroxime (a second-generation cephalosporin), the dosing would differ, but cefuroxime is less commonly used as first-line for pediatric UTI compared to cefixime 2.
Duration of Therapy
For uncomplicated UTI, a 5-7 day course is typically adequate, though the FDA label does not specify exact duration for UTI 1
The suspension may be administered without regard to food 1
Clinical Considerations
Cefixime demonstrates excellent efficacy against common UTI pathogens including E. coli and Proteus mirabilis, which are the primary organisms causing uncomplicated UTI in children 1, 3
The twice-daily dosing (200 mg divided) shows better gastrointestinal tolerance than once-daily dosing in clinical studies 3
For complicated UTI or pyelonephritis with tissue penetration (fever, elevated inflammatory markers), parenteral therapy with cefotaxime at 100 mg/kg/day divided every 6-8 hours would be more appropriate 4, 5