Ampicillin for a child

For bacterial infections, it is important to find an effective treatment that will destroy the germs and help you recover faster. Penicillin antibiotics were one of the first antibacterial agents to use. Among them, Ampicillin is still popular. When is it prescribed to children and what is the correct way to give this drug in childhood?

Release form

Ampicillin is produced by:

In pills the content of the active substance in which is 250 mg. These white flat tablets are sold in packs of 10 or 20.
In powder or granules, from which the suspension is prepared. This form of Ampicillin is poured into glass vials. One package contains 40 g of white or yellowish granules, and after dilution with water, 100 ml of suspension is formed. The content of the active substance in 5 ml of the finished syrup is 250 mg. They also produce a drug with a concentration of 125 mg ampicillin per 5 milliliters of suspension.
In powder, which is intended for intramuscular or intravenous administration of the drug. It is packaged in glass bottles, which are often accompanied by ampoules with a solvent. One package of such a white powder for injection contains from 1 to 10 vials, and the active ingredient in one vial can be in the amount of 250, 500, 1000 or 2000 mg.

Composition

The active substance of Ampicillin tablets is ampicillin trihydrate. Additionally, magnesium or calcium stearate, starch and talc are present in the tablet form of the drug.
The granules from which the Ampicillin suspension is prepared also contain the active ingredient in the form of a trihydrate. Of the additional substances in this form of antibiotic, sodium benzoate, PVP, guar gum, flavors, sucrose, simethicone, vanillin, sodium saccharinate and other compounds may be present.
The powder intended for injections does not contain any other ingredients in addition to ampicillin in the form of sodium salt.

Operating principle

The medicine belongs to the semi-synthetic antibacterial drugs of the penicillin group. It does not break down once it enters the stomach, but is very well absorbed. The spectrum of action of the drug is wide, because ampicillin exhibits bactericidal activity against such pathogens:

Staphylococcus aureus (except for penicillin-resistant species).
Salmonella.
Clostridium.
Gonococcus.
Proteus.
Streptococcus.
Whooping cough stick.
Escherichia.
Pneumococcus.
Enterococcus.
Haemophilus influenzae.
Shigella.
Meningococcus.
Bacillus of anthrax.
Listeria.
Yersinia and others.

The drug affects the formation of cell walls in bacteria, as a result of which the cells of the pathogen are destroyed. Ampicillin may not work on many Klebsiella, all Pseudomonas, some Proteus and Enterobacter strains.

Indications

Ampicillin is widely used for various infections, among which are diseases of the genitourinary organs, respiratory tract and digestive organs. He is discharged:

With angina, sinusitis, otitis media, pharyngitis and other ENT infections.
With intestinal infections.
For erysipelas and other inflammatory skin diseases caused by bacteria.
With meningitis.
With urethritis, nephritis and other bacterial diseases of the urinary tract.
With bronchitis, abscess in the lung or pneumonia.
With whooping cough (an infection with severe cough).
With gonorrhea.
With cholecystitis or cholangitis.
With peritonitis.
With conjunctivitis.
With osteomyelitis, purulent arthritis, myositis or bursitis.
With sepsis.

From what age is it allowed to take?

Ampicillin treatment of children is possible from 4 weeks of age, that is, in newborns, such a medicine is not used. If the child is already one month old, then it is allowed to treat him with Ampicillin.

Contraindications

The use of Ampicillin is prohibited in case of intolerance to penicillin. Also, this antibiotic is not prescribed:

With infectious mononucleosis.
With liver failure.
With pathologies of the digestive tract, provoked by antibiotic therapy.
With lymphocytic leukemia.

The remedy is used very carefully if the kidneys are impaired, the child has hay fever, or has bronchial asthma. Also, with treatment with Ampicillin, you should be more careful if in the past a small patient had bleeding.

Side effects

The use of Ampicillin can cause allergies, the manifestations of which are erythema, dermatitis, rash, edema, severe itching and other symptoms. The medicine often provokes dyspepsia, and if the child is weakened, it can lead to candidiasis. During treatment with Ampicillin (especially if the medication is given in a high dose), there are also such side effects from this medication:

Tremor.
Headaches.
Anemia.
Decreased platelet count.
Leukopenia (mainly due to neutrophils, sometimes to complete agranulocytosis).
Convulsions.

Instructions for use and dosage

Since Ampicillin does not destroy all pathogens (there are types of bacteria resistant to such a drug), it is recommended to determine the sensitivity to this antibiotic before treatment. At the same time, the treatment can be started simultaneously with the sensitivity analysis, and when the result is obtained, the therapy is adjusted if necessary.
To know how to calculate the dose of Ampicillin, you need to weigh the child and take into account the age, because the amount of medication needed for a 4 or 9 year old child will differ. The daily dosage for children is from 50 to 100 mg of ampicillin per kilogram of the baby's weight. If the body weight of the crumbs is less than 20 kilograms, then the daily dose will be from 12.5 to 25 mg of the active substance of the antibiotic per 1 kg of the baby's weight.
The mode and method of application of Ampicillin is determined by the doctor, because for this it is important to take into account the localization of inflammation and the severity of the infection. The calculated daily dose can be divided into 3-6 doses.
The duration of therapy is also set individually. When the symptoms of the disease disappear, treatment with Ampicillin should be continued for another 2-3 days.
Ampicillin tablets are allowed to be swallowed and washed down with water, and their intake does not depend on food intake.
To prepare a suspension of Ampicillin from a granular form, water is added to the vial until the risks, and then the medicine is shaken. The drug is dosed with a measuring spoon and given to the child before meals, offering to drink a small amount of water.
If Ampicillin is required to inject, then the solution is prepared before injection by pouring a sterile solvent into a vial filled with powder (usually diluted with water, but can also be mixed with novocaine). Then the drug is drawn into a syringe and an intramuscular injection is performed or the drug is administered intravenously, depending on the doctor's prescription.
ENT doctors often prescribe complex drops, which include Ampicillin. Such nasal drops also include a vasoconstrictor and a hormonal agent. They are used for purulent rhinitis and adenoiditis.
For angina, children over 5 years old may be prescribed throat irrigation with Ampicillin... For such a rinse, sterile antibiotic powder is diluted with boiled water, and the procedure itself is carried out twice a day.

Overdose

If Ampicillin enters the child's body in too high a dosage, it will have a toxic effect on the child's nervous system, especially if he has problems with kidney function. An overdose of the medication will manifest itself with vomiting, severe nausea and loose stools. With such signs, it is important to flush the stomach, give laxatives and sorbents, and restore electrolyte and water balance. In severe cases, hemodialysis will help speed up the disposal of the little patient's body from Ampicillin.

Interaction with other drugs

Ampicillin has the ability to enhance the effect of oral anticoagulants.
Also, this antibiotic acts synergistically (enhances the therapeutic effect) with other bactericidal antibacterial drugs, for example, with rifampicin, cephalosporins or aminoglycoside antibiotics.
In relation to bacteriostatic antibiotics (tetracyclines, macrolides, sulfonamides, lincosamides and others), Ampicillin behaves like an antagonist.
If you give Ampicillin and Allopurinol, the risk of skin rashes increases.
The concentration of Ampicillin in the blood will be increased if, against the background of treatment with such a drug, the child is given diuretics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or drugs that lower tubular secretion.

Terms of sale

A prescription from a doctor is required to buy such an antibiotic at a pharmacy. The price of twenty Ampicillin tablets is from 25 to 50 rubles, and the cost of 10 vials of the injectable form of the drug is about 160 rubles.

Storage conditions and shelf life

Keep tablets, powder and granules of Ampicillin at room temperature away from moisture. The place where the drug is stored should not have easy access for small children. The shelf life of the tablet form and powder for injections is 2 years, granules for suspension preparation is 3 years.

Reviews

Parents in many cases respond positively to the treatment of bacterial infections in children with Ampicillin. Such a drug is effective for bronchitis, dysentery, pyelonephritis and other infectious diseases. Mothers are satisfied with the low cost of the medicine and the availability in pharmacies. However, there are also negative reviews, in which the parents note that the drug did not help (the bacteria were not sensitive to this antibiotic) or the child had side effects (nausea, skin rash, and others).

Analogs

To replace Ampicillin, you can use other antibacterial drugs from the same group (penicillins):

Amoxicillin... This antibiotic is available in tablets, capsules and granules that are mixed with water to form a suspension. The drug can be given from birth in the dosage prescribed by the doctor.

Ospamox... In such a preparation, the active ingredient is also amoxicillin. The medicine is presented in different forms - dissolving tablets, powder and granules for preparing a suspension, as well as coated tablets. It can be used both up to a year and at an older age.

Amoxiclav... As part of this drug, amoxicillin is supplemented with clavulanic acid. The drug is produced in coated tablets and powder, from which a suspension is made. There is also an injectable form for injecting medication into a vein. Amoxiclav is prescribed from birth, but the tablet form is recommended at the age of 11-12 years.

Oxacillin... This penicillin antibiotic comes in injectable and tablet forms. It is permissible to prescribe the medicine to newborns even at premature birth.

Ampiox... In such an antibacterial agent, ampicillin is combined with oxacillin. The medicine is produced in capsules and is prescribed from 3 years old.

Sultasin... This antibiotic contains a combination of ampicillin and sulbactam. It is produced in the form of a powder, which is administered in injections (intramuscularly or into a vein). The drug is used in children of any age.