Procaterol Dosing in Pediatric Patients
Procaterol dosing for pediatric patients is expressed as micrograms per kilogram per dose (μg/kg per dose), not as a total daily dose per kilogram. 1
Dosing Framework
The appropriate starting dose of procaterol in asthmatic children is 0.5 μg/kg per dose, which provides a reasonable risk-benefit ratio with effective bronchodilation and minimal adverse effects. 1
Evidence-Based Dosing Recommendations
Starting dose: 0.5 μg/kg per dose is recommended as the initial dosage because it ensures therapeutic efficacy while minimizing the incidence of tremors and other beta-agonist side effects. 1
Higher dose option: 1.5 μg/kg per dose produces more sustained bronchodilation lasting up to 8 hours, but is associated with increased tremor incidence. 1
Dose range studied: Clinical trials have evaluated single doses ranging from less than 0.5 μg/kg up to 1.5 μg/kg in children aged 6-12 years, with all doses demonstrating therapeutic effectiveness. 1
Pharmacokinetic Considerations
Procaterol demonstrates dose-proportional pharmacokinetics in the range studied (25-100 μg absolute doses in adults), with similar time to peak concentration (tmax), elimination rate, and clearance across dosage levels. 2
The duration of bronchodilating effect is dose-dependent, with peak effects occurring at 30-120 minutes and sustained effects lasting up to 8 hours with higher doses. 1
Clinical Application
The dose is calculated per individual administration, not as a daily total. This is consistent with how beta-2 agonists are typically dosed—as individual treatment doses rather than cumulative daily amounts. 1
Important Caveats
Pediatric patients require individualized pharmacokinetic considerations based on age, size, and organ maturity—they are not simply "small adults" requiring proportionally reduced doses. 3, 4
The 0.5 μg/kg per dose recommendation applies specifically to children aged 6-12 years based on the available evidence. 1
Monitor for adverse effects including tremor, tachycardia, and other beta-agonist effects, particularly when using higher doses. 1