Wall Chart D – Antibiotic and Aminophylline Dosing by Weight Band

Subsection:

Penicillin
Gentamicin
Ceftriaxone
Aminophylline

Antibiotics

Also see:

Penicillin

	50,000 iu/kg/dose Sepsis dose	100,000 iu/kg/dose Meningitis dose
Weight in kg	BD 1st week QID week 2 onwards
0.5-0.99	50,000	100,000
1-1.49	75,000	150,000
1-1.49	75,000	150,000
1.5-1.99	100,000	200,000
2.0-2.49	125,000	250,000
2.5-2.99	150,000	300,000
3.0-3.49	175,000	350,000
3.5-3.99	200,000	400,000
4-4.49	225,000	450,000
4.5 -4.99	250,000	500,000

Gentamicin

Weight in kg	3mg/kg/Dose OD 1st week LBW	5mg/kg/ Dose OD 1st week Term	7.5mg/kg Dose LBW & term Week 2 onwards
0.75-0.99	2.5		6.5
1.0-1.24	3.5		8
1.25-1.49	4		10
1.5-1.74	5		12
1.75-1.99	5.5		14
2-2.24	6		16
2.25-2.49	7		18
2.5-2.74		13	20
2.75-2.99		14	22
3-3.24		16	23
3.25-3.49		17	25
3.5-3.74		18	27
3.75-3.99		19	29
4- 4.24		21	31
4.25-4.49		22	33
4.5 – 4.74		23	35
4.75-4.99		24	36

Ceftriaxone

Dosing

Sepsis dose: 50mg/kg once a day
Severe infection or CNS involvement: 100mg/kg once a day
If LP not done and CNS involvement cannot be excluded, give high dose 100mg/kg once a day

Aminophylline for prevention of apnoeas of prematurity

See also chapter on apnoeas

Dissolve 100mg tablets in 20mls of water, each ml contains 5mg of aminophylline
6mg/kg to load and 2.5mg/kg BD

Weight	Stat dose to load	Aminophylline solution	BD dose	Aminophylline solution
0.75- 0.99	5mg	1ml	2mg	0.4mls
1.0 -1.49	7.5mg	1.5mls	3mg	0.6mls
1.5 – 1.99	10mg	2mls	4mg	0.8mls