Clindamycin Oral Solution Dosing for 25kg Pediatric Patient
Exact Dose Calculation
For a 25kg pediatric patient receiving clindamycin oral solution (75mg/5ml), the exact dose per administration is 250mg, which equals 16.7ml of the oral solution, given three times daily (every 8 hours). 1
Calculation Breakdown
- Total daily dose: 30-40 mg/kg/day divided into 3-4 doses for oral administration in pediatric patients 1, 2
- For this 25kg patient:
- Using 30 mg/kg/day: 750 mg/day ÷ 3 doses = 250 mg per dose
- Using 40 mg/kg/day: 1000 mg/day ÷ 3 doses = 333 mg per dose
- Standard recommendation: 30 mg/kg/day is appropriate for most MRSA and streptococcal infections 1, 2
- Volume per dose with 75mg/5ml concentration:
- 250 mg ÷ 75 mg = 3.33 × 5ml = 16.7ml per dose
- If using higher dosing (333mg): 22.2ml per dose
Dosing Schedule
- Administer every 8 hours (three times daily) for optimal therapeutic levels 1, 2
- Alternative: Every 6 hours (four times daily) at lower per-dose amounts if using 40 mg/kg/day total 1
- Most common regimen: 250mg (16.7ml) every 8 hours provides 750mg/day total 1, 2
Clinical Context Considerations
- For MRSA infections: 30-40 mg/kg/day in 3-4 divided doses is the standard recommendation 1, 2
- For Group A Streptococcus: 40 mg/kg/day in 3 doses is recommended, which would be 333mg (22.2ml) every 8 hours 1, 2
- For severe infections: Consider the higher end of dosing (40 mg/kg/day) 1
Important Caveats
- Maximum single dose: Should not exceed 600mg per administration 1
- Local resistance patterns: Only use clindamycin when local MRSA clindamycin resistance rates are <10% 1
- Duration: Typically 7-10 days for skin/soft tissue infections, longer for bone/joint infections 1
- Inducible resistance: Be aware of potential resistance in erythromycin-resistant MRSA strains 1