If a child is diagnosed with a bacterial infection, the doctor will prescribe one of the effective antibiotics to the baby, which has a wide spectrum of activity against microorganisms. One of these drugs is Amoxicillin. Especially for children, it is released in granules so that parents can prepare a sweet suspension in the form of a syrup at home. At what age and in what dosage is this medicine given to a sick child?
Release form
Amoxicillin granules are packaged in dark glass bottles weighing 40 grams. There are enough white or white-yellow granules inside one bottle to make 100 ml of a yellowish suspension with a fruit smell. Because of the sweet taste, some mothers call this liquid syrup.
The package contains a measuring spoon that helps to accurately dose the drug. Its total volume is 5 ml, but there is a risk inside the spoon by which only 2.5 ml of suspension can be measured. In addition to this form, Amoxicillin is also produced in tablets and capsules, but it is more convenient to use a liquid preparation in the treatment of children in the first years of life.
Composition
The main component of the drug is amoxicillin trihydrate. 5 ml of a suspension prepared from Amoxicillin granules contains 250 mg of such a compound. For sweetness, the preparation contains sucrose and sodium saccharinate, and strawberry, raspberry and passionflower aromas give the medicine a pleasant smell for children. Also, this Amoxicillin contains sodium benzoate, sodium citrate, guar gum and simethicone.
Operating principle
Amoxicillin is included in the group of penicillin antibiotics and is a drug with a very extensive antimicrobial effect. Since this drug kills germs, this effect is called bactericidal.
The drug affects various types of staphylococci, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, streptococci, as well as gonococci, Clostridia, meningococci, chlamydia, Helicobacter pylori, listeria and many other bacteria. However, it can be ineffective against certain microorganisms. In addition, Amoxicillin is powerless against viruses.
Indications
The drug is prescribed for children with infectious diseases caused by a microbe sensitive to Amoxicillin.
Such a medicine is in demand:
- With angina, sinusitis, bronchitis, otitis media, pharyngitis or other infectious diseases of the ENT organs and the respiratory system.
- When bacteria in the genitourinary organs become infected, for example, with urethritis or nephritis.
- With meningitis, peritonitis, sepsis and other dangerous infections.
- For various intestinal infections, including dysentery, salmonellosis and leptospirosis.
- With gastrointestinal ulcer and gallbladder inflammation.
- For infections of soft tissues and skin.
From what age is it allowed to take?
Pediatricians allow treatment with Amoxicillin in suspension for children since birth. However, it is unacceptable for babies under one year old to give such medicine without a doctor's prescription. However, you should not treat children with Amoxicillin without consulting a pediatrician, and at an older age. If the child is already 5-6 years old, instead of the suspension, you can already use the tablet form of the drug.
Contraindications
If a child is allergic to penicillin or cephalosporin antibacterial drugs, Amoxicillin should not be prescribed.
There will also be restrictions on taking the drug:
- Liver pathology.
- Allergic diseases.
- Kidney disease.
- Leukemia.
- Breast-feeding.
- Adverse reactions of the gastrointestinal tract to antibiotic therapy in the past.
- History of bleeding.
Any of these problems requires the doctor to prescribe Amoxicillin to the child very carefully.
Side effects
The child's body can "respond" to the use of Amoxicillin:
- Allergies.
- Dyspepsia.
- Headaches.
- A decrease in the number of blood cells.
- Increased heart rate.
- Sleep problems.
- Impaired liver function.
In some children, the drug provokes dysbiosis or candidiasis. Rarely, Amoxicillin can cause serious problems such as seizures, enterocolitis, anaphylactic shock, and superinfection.
Instructions for use and dosage
To dilute the granules, boiled water at room temperature is required. It is poured into a bottle to the mark marked on the bottle, the package is closed with a lid and shaken thoroughly so that the dry substance is evenly mixed with the liquid.
Next, the child is given a ready-made suspension, measuring it with a spoon, in such a single dose:
The drug is prescribed in this dosage three times within 5-12 days. A more accurate duration of therapy is determined by the doctor, taking into account the disease, but after the disappearance of clinical manifestations, Amoxicillin continues to be given for another 2-3 days.
Overdose
If you give a suspension of Amoxicillin to a child in too high a dose, it will lead to vomiting and diarrhea, as well as dehydration. Immediately after an overdose, it is recommended to rinse the stomach and give the baby a sorbent, after which the baby should be soldered with rehydration solutions. If the poisoning is severe, an ambulance should be called.
Interaction with other drugs
The drug will be absorbed and act worse if combined with laxatives, antacids, glucosamine, or bacteriostatic antibiotics. The action of Amoxicillin will increase when combined with vitamin C or other bactericidal antimicrobial drugs. If you use indirect anticoagulants, their effectiveness under the influence of Amoxicillin will increase.
Terms of sale
The drug is sold by prescription in pharmacies. The average price of a bottle of granules is 90-100 rubles.
Storage conditions and shelf life
So that Amoxicillin does not lose its effectiveness, it is advised to keep it away from moisture and direct sunlight, and the optimal storage temperature range is called + 15 + 25 degrees Celsius. It is important that such a medication is not easily accessible to children. The shelf life of an unopened bottle is 3 years. If a suspension has already been made from the granules, such a liquid medicine can be stored for only 2 weeks.
Reviews
There are a variety of reviews about the Amoxicillin suspension. Some mothers praise her for its quick and effective action, ease of dispensing, pleasant taste and low price. Others are scolded for frequent side effects (for example, nausea, allergic rashes, or diarrhea), three doses, and short shelf life. Moreover, in most reviews, parents note that the drug helped with angina, bronchitis or other infection. But sometimes there are cases when the medicine was ineffective and the child needed to be given another antibiotic.
Analogs
To replace the suspension of Amoxicillin, any other medication containing the same active compound can be suitable. Among all the analogues, Ospamox, Amosin and Hikontsil are produced in suspension. Also, in the treatment of children, instead of Amoxicillin, another penicillin antibiotic can be used, for example, Ampicillin or Oxacillin.
In the video below, you will learn what antibiotics are for and when they are used. Commented by the popular children's doctor Komarovsky.
