Cefuroxime Oral Dosing for 15-Year-Old, 68 kg Patient
For a 15-year-old patient weighing 68 kg, administer cefuroxime axetil 500 mg orally twice daily, as this patient meets adult dosing criteria based on both age and weight. 1, 2
Rationale for Adult Dosing in This Patient
This adolescent should receive standard adult dosing because patients ≥12 years old and weighing ≥38 kg fall within the adult dosing range for cefuroxime 3, 1
The FDA-approved adult oral dose of cefuroxime axetil is 250-500 mg twice daily, with 500 mg twice daily recommended for more severe infections such as pneumonia 1, 2
At 68 kg, this patient significantly exceeds the 38 kg threshold where adult dosing becomes appropriate, eliminating any need for weight-based pediatric calculations 3
Standard Dosing Protocol
Administer 500 mg orally twice daily (every 12 hours) with food to optimize absorption 1, 4
For less severe infections (such as uncomplicated urinary tract infections or mild skin infections), 250 mg twice daily may be sufficient 1, 4
The maximum adult daily dose is 4000 mg/day, though typical therapeutic dosing rarely approaches this limit 1
Duration of Therapy
Treatment duration should be 5-10 days for most respiratory tract infections, with 14 days recommended for more severe infections like pneumonia 4, 5
For early Lyme disease, extend treatment to 14-21 days at 500 mg twice daily 1
Critical Pitfalls to Avoid
Do not use pediatric weight-based dosing (20-50 mg/kg/day) for this patient, as this would result in unnecessarily complex calculations and potential underdosing given the patient's age and weight qualify for adult dosing 1, 2
Avoid administering cefuroxime axetil on an empty stomach, as food significantly increases bioavailability (absolute bioavailability is 68% when taken with meals) 4
Do not exceed 500 mg per dose for routine infections, as higher doses do not improve efficacy for most community-acquired infections 1, 5
Infection-Specific Considerations
For respiratory tract infections (bronchitis, pneumonia, sinusitis): Use 500 mg twice daily 1, 4, 6
For uncomplicated urinary tract infections: 250 mg twice daily is adequate 4, 7
For skin and soft tissue infections: 250-500 mg twice daily depending on severity 1, 4
For uncomplicated gonorrhea: Single 1-gram dose 4