Is it possible to prescribe chloramphenicol to children. Antibiotic "Levomycetin" for children with diarrhea: reviews, features of use and effectiveness Method of application of Levomycetin
Levomycetin for children with diarrhea is more often used if there is an infection in the intestines. The medicine quickly eliminates pathogenic microorganisms. Levomycetin is an antibiotic that contains chloramphenicol. The substance has an antimicrobial effect on body tissues, but does not harm their structure. The composition acts gradually, eliminating harmful bacteria. Take the drug should be strictly following the instructions.
The positive effect of the drug on the body is achieved due to the composition.
Levomycetin responds quickly to the elimination of infection, often used by ophthalmologists and pediatricians. It actively fights bacteria, the constituent substances inhibit the synthesis of proteins, which occurs at the molecular level. The result is suppression of the source that provoked inflammation.
The drug has an effective effect in the treatment of diarrhea in a child. If bacteria get into the baby's intestines, inflammation of the mucosa begins, diarrhea. The medicine, acting on bacteria, destroys them and quickly eliminates them from the body.
Tablets actively affect gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. But the tool does not eliminate the fungus, viruses and strains of tuberculosis.
Is it possible to give children levomycetin with diarrhea
organism in childhood more likely to be attacked by bacteria, treatment of diarrhea should help but not harm the gastrointestinal tract. Less safe means from a number of antibiotics for children is Levomycetin. But it is important to consider that the composition has a strong effect on the body.
In another situation, food poisoning can provoke an upset stomach if you feed your baby unripe, dirty fruits and vegetables. The kid himself can cause intoxication of the body as a result of uncontrolled overeating.
It is not necessary to take the remedy in every case, it belongs to strong antibiotics. There are gentle remedies for child's body with high efficiency.
The medicine can be given to children, it is only necessary to follow the recommendations for the dosage corresponding to the age of the child. The purpose of the drug and the dosage is set by the doctor individually for each patient. The medicine has side effects and contraindications.
The drug can be drunk with a disorder from 2 years old, given the weight of the baby.
For infants, the drug is prohibited. It causes strong side effects for the following reasons:
- absorbed quickly, penetrating into the bloodstream;
- from 1 to 3 hours its high concentration is reached;
- quickly penetrates into the tissues, the milk of a nursing mother.
A high degree of concentration of the composition is contained in the kidneys, which negatively affects the child's body.
Appropriate appointment medicinal product with such pathologies:
- Respiratory diseases.
- Infection in the patient's abdomen.
- Diseases of the intestines, genitourinary system, biliary tract.
For purulent skin diseases, the remedy is used in the form of an alcohol solution, used topically.
Instructions for use for children
Levomycetin: instructions for use:
- Take the remedy orally.
- Tablets must be swallowed whole so that the child does not feel the bitterness of the composition. An alternative to the drug can be a drug from the pharmacy "Levomycetin-Aktitab". It does not have a bitter taste, children calmly perceive its intake, its properties are not inferior to conventional medicine.
- Tablets are required to be taken with 200-250 ml of water for better absorption 30 minutes before meals. You can add 1 tsp to the liquid. Sahara. If a child develops individual sensitivity, nausea, the composition should be taken 60 minutes after a meal.
- During the day, no more than 2-3 times are supposed to be taken. It is important to observe the equality of the intervals between doses. Intervals in individual cases are set by the pediatrician.
- It is permissible to use the remedy 1 time in 24 hours with a mild form of the disorder. If after 4-5 hours after taking the medication the symptoms have not disappeared, an appeal to the pediatrician is required.
If the use of the levomycetin composition did not lead to a positive result, the child must be treated in a hospital under the supervision of an infectious disease specialist. Only in a hospital setting can a series of urine, blood, and feces tests be performed to constantly monitor the baby's condition.
More often they use Levomycetin (tablets for children from diarrhea) for young patients. For adolescents and adults are used modern methods disorder correction.
The initial dose is 12 mg per 1 kg of the baby's weight. If the child weighs 10 kg, then 120 mg of the substance will be required. Repeat the scheme 4 times in 24 hours. The effectiveness of the drug appears on the 2nd day.
The instructions for use for diarrhea should be strictly followed, taking into account the age and weight of the small patient.
Dosage of chloramphenicol for children:
- for a child under 3 years old, dose = 15 mg capsules per 1 kg of weight;
- from 8 to 12 years = 3-3.5 mg per day;
- 3 to 8 years old = 2-3 mg.
Over 16 years old - no more than 4 mg per day. Adult patients are allowed a dosage of 300 to 500 mg 3 times a day before meals. It is forbidden to take more than 2 grams per day. But it is allowed to exceed the dose up to 3 grams in case of infection. In this case, the treatment should be carried out in a hospital.
Self-administration of the drug is prohibited for children under the age of 2 years.
Levomycetin for children with severe diarrhea (dosage, consequences of an overdose):
Violation of the function of hematopoiesis. The following symptoms occur:
- pallor, grayness of the skin;
- the temperature rises;
- the patient has difficulty breathing;
- heart pathology;
- decrease in activity;
- pain in the throat.
Exceeding the dosage causes a grayish tint of the skin, as a result of kidney and liver failure.
Failure of digestion, destruction of the intestinal mucosa.
Hearing loss, visual impairment.
If the child has taken more of the drug than necessary, urgently provide assistance:
- Do not feed for several hours.
- Rinse the stomach.
- Give a drink a large amount of water 0.5-1 liter.
- Induce vomiting in the baby by pressing the base of the tongue with two fingers.
- Repeat the procedure 2-3 times.
- Call an ambulance to avoid the consequences of intoxication of the body after using the drug.
In a hospital setting, specialists will give an enema, thoroughly wash the intestines.
Timely rendered health care will avoid the negative consequences of an overdose.
Contraindications
Contraindications to taking the composition:
- Component intolerance.
- Liver and kidney failure.
- It is forbidden to use adults, children with blood pathologies.
- Do not take patients with a fungus of the skin, allergies.
- Admission is undesirable for acute tonsillitis, acute respiratory infections, diabetes.
If you take Levomycetin medication without a doctor's prescription, complications are possible:
| Name of body systems | Complications and symptoms |
| gastrointestinal tract |
|
| Change in blood composition |
|
| Nervous system |
|
| Leather | Allergy symptoms: rash on skin, dermatitis, urticaria. |
If at least one of side effects, you should stop using the medication, consult a doctor.
Diarrhea in children is dangerous because it leads to the loss of excess body fluid and sudden weight loss. To avoid negative consequences, the doctor often prescribes the antibiotic Levomycetin to eliminate prolonged diarrhea. The remedy helps to quickly and effectively cope with the disorder, subject to the dosage clearly indicated by the doctor.
If the baby has an overdose from taking pills, do a gastric lavage, give plenty of water to drink, induce vomiting, contact ambulance. The drug is forbidden to use in case of individual sensitivity to the components, it is undesirable to take it with liver and kidney failure.
It could be found in almost every home first aid kit, it was given to both children and adults with diarrhea or colds, including in the neonatal period. Against the background of its reception, the “gray baby syndrome”, aplastic anemia and serious liver pathologies, problems with the functioning of enzymes were identified, which led to a ban on its use both during pregnancy and in children under 3 years of age.
Often, parents do not perceive antibiotics as serious and strong enough drugs, which is facilitated by their unreasonably widespread use, both on indications and without them. Such a widely used antibiotic as levomycetin has become notorious. Today, due to its severe and negative effects that have been clarified, it is prohibited up to three years, and it is also not used in pregnant women, due to its potentially negative effect on the fetus. After three years, antibiotics are used more actively, but doses must be strictly verified.
Levomycetin appeared in medicine in 1947, it had a wide spectrum of action and worked well in the intestines and inside the whole body. It was used against salmonella, rickettsia, which were poorly treated with other drugs. But its too wide and unreasonable use in many areas of medicine has led to sad consequences for doctors and patients. Starting with this antibiotic, for which life-threatening pathologies for infants were found out, they began to be more attentive to drugs of this action.
Why is levomycetin dangerous in childhood: enzyme problems
The intake of chloramphenicol affects the protein synthesis of microbes, it inhibits the enzymes that synthesize microbial proteins. Thus, it has bacteriostatic effects. Its penetration into cerebrospinal fluid, active distribution to all tissues of the body. It is inactivated in the liver due to the action of special enzymes and conjugation with a special, glucuronic acid. In adults, it is excreted quickly, but in newborns this process is slowed down, which is why the toxic effects of the antibiotic appear.
Newborns and premature babies have a reduced activity of liver enzymes, which is why the process of processing the drug is very slow. Its plasma concentrations become high and unstable, it exhibits toxicity to many organs and systems. The activity of liver enzymes is reduced during the first months of life, in connection with which a ban on the use of this antibiotic in babies will be put forward today.
Although this phenomenon is not frequent, the systemic use of the antibiotic levomycetin threatens babies with the development of aplastic anemia. With such a pathology, children suffer from a pronounced suppression of the activity of hematopoietic germs, especially erythrocyte. Under the action of the drug, the synthesis of red blood cells in the bone marrow, and sometimes also other blood cells, is sharply reduced, which leads to serious and sometimes irreversible consequences. This anemia is characterized severe course, a decrease in the number of red blood cells and hemoglobin to very low values, which requires urgent interventions. In the presence of such anemia, the body of children suffers from hypoxia, metabolism is disturbed. And if leukocyte and platelet sprouts are also affected, this leads to frequent infections and impaired blood clotting. Children, if they have severe anemia, may die from infectious or hemorrhagic complications.
gray baby syndrome
Often, children who received chloramphenicol at an early age (especially against the background of prematurity) suffered from the “gray baby syndrome”. Under him, the mortality rate was high, which led scientists to study the situation in detail. The main cause of death of children with such a syndrome was an acute collapse, in which the babies acquired an earthy-gray color due to a sharp exsanguination of the skin. This is due to the fact that liver enzymes were not able to actively bind and excrete the drug, due to which its toxic concentrations led to a negative effect on the vascular center of the brain and led to irreversible consequences. Let's add here the reduced ability of the kidneys to excrete metabolites - hence such a sad outcome. By the way, the use of chloramphenicol at an early age also gave a similar effect.
Due to serious consequences, these substances have been banned from use in preterm infants and newborns, and older children should take this drug only under the strict supervision of a physician, topical forms of the drug are preferred (ear or eye drops, ointments on the skin).
In a special group in the treatment of antibiotics, including chloramphenicol, are children who have any pathology of the liver. This is due to the fact that the metabolism of levomycetin and many other drugs is carried out in this organ, and any problems with the work of enzymes, age immaturity, the presence of jaundice, inflammation, violations of bile separation threaten serious poisoning due to the accumulation of antibiotic in the blood. The pathology of the liver is not always manifested in children with jaundice, often it can be initially detected only according to the analysis, and only taking the drug can sharply aggravate it, which threatens with serious complications.
Therefore, if there are indications for taking levomycetin, it is necessary to initially evaluate the data biochemical analysis blood, paying special attention to liver enzymes and all the changes associated with the work of this organ. If a liver pathology is detected, treatment should be immediately reviewed in favor of safer antibiotics; in this case, levomycetin is forbidden to be used even after 3 years, due to the high risk of toxic reactions.
And the most basic advice for parents is to eliminate levomycetin from the first aid kit. It is necessary to refuse to take it in children at any age, especially as a self-medication, which is often practiced to this day.
Instructions for use:
Levomycetin is an antibacterial drug used to treat infectious diseases. Widely used in ophthalmology and pediatrics.
pharmachologic effect
Levomycetin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic.
The active ingredient of Levomycetin effectively affects many gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, as well as pathogens of meningococcal infection, purulent infections, dysentery, typhoid fever.
Levomycetin is indicated in the treatment of diseases caused by hemophilic bacteria, chlamydia, rickettsia, brucella, spirochetes. At therapeutic concentrations, Levomycetin has a bacteriostatic effect.
According to the instructions, Levomycetin is weakly active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, acid-fast bacteria, clostridia and protozoa. Drug resistance to Levomycetin develops relatively slowly, but usually there is no cross-resistance to other chemotherapy drugs.
At topical application Levomycetin therapeutic concentration is created in the iris, cornea, vitreous body, aqueous humor, while Levomycetin does not penetrate into the lens.
Levomycetin according to the instructions is quickly and well absorbed both after oral administration and with rectal administration, reaching a maximum concentration in the blood after a few hours.
Penetrating into the organs, fluids and tissues of the body, Levomycetin penetrates well into the cerebrospinal fluid, as well as into mother's milk.
Release form
Levomycetin is produced in the form of:
- Yellowish round tablets Levomycetin containing 0.5 g and 0.25 g active substance chloramphenicol. Auxiliary substances - stearic acid or calcium stearate, potato starch;
- Powder for solution for injection. Each vial contains 500 or 1000 mg of active ingredient;
- Eye drops (0.25% solution). 1 ml of the drug contains 2.5 mg of active ingredient. In dropper bottles of 5 and 10 ml.
Indications for the use of Levomycetin
Levomycetin is used for:
- persiniosis;
- Generalized forms of salmonellosis;
- Paratyphoid;
- Tularemia;
- Rickettsiosis;
- brucellosis;
- Typhoid fever;
- meningitis;
- Chlamydia.
In infectious diseases of another etiology, which are caused by pathogens sensitive to the drug, Levomycetin is indicated for the ineffectiveness of other chemotherapeutic agents or in cases where their use is not possible due to individual intolerance.
In ophthalmology, Levomycetin is indicated for the prevention and treatment of infectious eye diseases:
- Blepharitis;
- conjunctivitis;
- Keratitis.
Contraindications
According to the instructions, the use of Levomycetin is contraindicated in:
- Individual intolerance to the active substance;
- Various skin diseases, including psoriasis, fungal infections, eczema;
- Inhibition of hematopoiesis.
According to the instructions, Levomycetin is not used during pregnancy, in newborns, and also during lactation.
Levomycetin for children and adults should not be prescribed for angina, acute respiratory diseases, as well as with preventive purpose and in mild forms of infectious processes.
Levomycetin can not be administered simultaneously with:
- Sulfonamides;
- Difenin;
- Butamid;
- Cytostatics;
- Pyrazolone derivatives;
- Neodicoumarin;
- barbiturates.
Instructions for use Levomycetin
In tablets, Levomycetin is taken orally half an hour before meals.
Usually, adults take 1-2 tablets of Levomycetin (0.25 g each) 3-4 times a day, but not more than 2 g of the drug per day. In especially severe cases, the maximum dose may be 4 g divided into 3-4 doses, under strict control of liver and kidney function and blood condition.
A single dose of Levomycetin for children under 3 years of age is calculated based on weight - 10-15 mg per 1 kg, children 3-8 years old - 0.15-2 g, older children - 0.2-0.3 mg per 1 kg masses.
A single dose of Levomycetin is taken by children from 3 to 4 times a day, depending on the course of the disease.
The duration of the course of treatment with Levomycetin according to the instructions is 7-10 days, and in some cases, with good tolerance of the drug and the absence of side effects, up to two weeks.
A solution prepared from a powder is used for intravenous and intramuscular administration. For children, Levomycetin is prescribed only intramuscularly, for which the contents of the vial are dissolved in 2-3 ml of water for injection. With diabetes for jet intravenous administration the contents of the vial are dissolved in 10 ml of water for injection. Injections are carried out at regular intervals. The duration of the course of treatment with Levomycetin and doses are determined individually.
Adults are usually prescribed 2-3 times a day, 500-1000 mg of Levomycetin, and in severe infections, the dose can be doubled, but not more than 4000 mg per day.
In ophthalmology, the prepared solution is used for instillations or parabulbar injections, instilled into conjunctival sac a few drops of a 5% solution of Levomycetin 3 to 5 times a day. The duration of the course is usually from 5 to 15 days.
Description of side effects of Levomycetin and reviews
According to the description and reviews, when using Levomycetin, various side effects may occur:
- Thrombocytopenia;
- Leukopenia;
- reticulocytopenia;
- Allergic reactions manifested as skin rashes;
- Cytoplasmic vacuolization of early erythrocyte forms;
- Decrease in the level of hemoglobin in the blood.
Usually these side effects are reversible and disappear on their own after the abolition of Levomycetin.
Also, according to the instructions and reviews Levomycetin can cause:
- confusion;
- Decreased visual acuity and hearing;
- psychomotor disorders;
- Visual and auditory hallucinations;
- Dyspeptic symptoms - vomiting, nausea or loose stools.
When using Levomycetin in infants in rare cases may develop cardiovascular collapse.
Storage conditions
The shelf life of tablets is 3 years, the powder for solution for injection is 4 years, eye drops are 2 years, while the opened vial can be stored for no more than a month.
The child's body is not yet fully formed, so the child is more prone to diseases. In addition, he cannot help himself, because due to lack of experience he does not know how to do it, and here parents should come to the rescue.
- a fairly common phenomenon, it causes many reasons. In treatment, one of the main points is to establish the factor that provoked the disorder, and then you can already choose medications. Levomycetin helps against children's diarrhea.
Description of the drug
Levomycetin belongs to the amphenicol group of antibiotics. It is available in tablets with a dosage of 250 and 500 mg.
The drug is made on the basis of chloramphenicol - synthetic, identical in composition to the natural substance produced by certain types of bacteria.
Each Levomycetin tablet contains a number of additional components:
- calcium stearate;
- potato starch;
- medical low molecular weight polyvinylpyrrolidone.
Levomycetin refers to broad-spectrum antibiotics and has a systemic effect on the body. The mechanism of its work is based on the suppression of the peptidyltransferase enzyme and the disruption of protein synthesis in bacterial cells.
The activity of Levomycetin is manifested in relation to gram-positive cocci:
- pneumococci;
- enterococci;
- streptococci;
Chloramphenicol also successfully acts against a number of bacteria:
- salmonella;
- shigella;
- serrations;
- coli;
- hemophilic rods;
- proteas;
- klebsiella.
Levomycetin: tablets
Levomycetin is effective against spirochetes, rickettsiae, anaerobic bacteria, pathogens of inguinal lymphogranulomatosis, trachoma and psittacosis.
The drug successfully inhibits the activity of strains that are resistant to other groups of antibiotics - sulfonamides, streptomycin, penicillin. Bacterial resistance to chloramphenicol develops slowly.
Acid-resistant microorganisms, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, protozoa and clostridia have sufficient immunity to.
Tablets are well digested and absorbed gastrointestinal tract. 2-3 hours after ingestion, the maximum concentration of the active substance in the blood plasma is reached. For 4-5 hours, the therapeutic concentration is maintained. Bioavailability (digestibility) of the drug reaches 90%.
When Levomycetin is used by a pregnant woman, the active substance penetrates the placental barrier and enters the blood of the fetus. The antibiotic also enters breast milk.
Almost completely, the substance is excreted through the kidneys during the day. Up to 3% of the formed metabolites are excreted through.
Cases of overdose of the drug in the body may occur when Levomycitin is used for a long time in large quantities. The so-called cardiovascular syndrome is possible in newborns and premature babies.
It develops due to the fact that critical doses of chloramphenicol accumulate in the body, and immature liver enzymes of the baby are not able to process it. As a result, chloramphenicol acts directly on the myocardium. Symptoms of cardiovascular syndrome:
- anorexia;
- a sharp decrease in body temperature;
- gray skin;
- hypotension;
- lack of response to light and movement.
In this case, therapy is prescribed, including blood purification and the elimination of accompanying symptoms. Fatal outcome in the case of the development of pathology reaches 40%.
Indications and contraindications
Diarrhea in a child is a problem
The drug is prescribed in the treatment of infectious diseases, the causative agents of which are microorganisms sensitive to chloramphenicol. Indications for the use of Levomycetin:
- paratyphoid;
- typhus and typhoid fever;
- meningitis;
- whooping cough;
- chlamydia;
- sepsis;
- tularemia;
- brucellosis;
- dysentery;
- brain abscess;
- trachoma;
- pneumonia;
- gonorrhea;
- actinomycosis.
Levomycetin is also prescribed for diarrhea in children, as many of the above diseases are symptomatic of diarrhea. It is important to know the exact diagnosis, as diarrhea can occur from food poisoning or even due to any psychological factors.
In these cases, the disorder disappears in a few days, and it is treated with completely different drugs. The use of Levomycetin in this situation can only aggravate the condition of the child, without bringing any benefit.
Contraindications to the use of Levomycetin are determined by the following factors:
- pregnancy and breastfeeding;
- renal and liver failure;
- individual intolerance to chloramphenicol or other components of the drug;
- oppressed hematopoiesis in the bone marrow;
- acute intermittent porphyria (a genetic disorder of pigment metabolism, accompanied by neurological symptoms);
- deficiency of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (, the lack of which leads to anemia).
With caution, it is necessary to prescribe an antibiotic to children at an early age and newborns (under 4 weeks old).
Levomycetin has a number of side effects, so it must be taken under medical supervision in order to prevent developing disorders in time. The antibiotic acts on digestive system, calling:
- nausea;
- vomiting;
- dyspeptic disorders;
- diarrhea
- mucosal irritation oral cavity and yawn.
On the part of the hematopoietic system, there may be a deficiency of leukocytes, granulocytes, reticulocytes and platelets. When touched nervous system may develop:
- hallucinations;
- depression;
- distraction of consciousness;
- neuritis;
- headaches;
- decreased visual acuity and hearing.
In addition, it is possible to develop allergic reactions in the form of rash and edema, secondary fungal infection and collapse (acute vascular insufficiency) in children under the age of one.
Levomycetin should not be taken simultaneously with a number of other drugs, as it suppresses their therapeutic effect. This group includes:
- phenotoin;
- phenobarbital;
- antibiotics of the cephalosporin and penicillin groups;
- erythromycin, lincomycin and clindamycin.
Simultaneous administration of the drug with cytostatics that suppress hematopoiesis and sulfonamides may cause additional side effects. Oral hypoglycemic drugs enhance their effect when interacting with Levomycetin.
How to use for diarrhea
Levomycetin - antibacterial agent
The antibiotic is taken orally (by mouth) half an hour before a meal. For children, the daily dosage depends on age and body weight.
Babies under 3 years of age are prescribed 10-15 mg per 1 kg of weight, at the age of 3-8 years - from 150 to 200 mg, older children - 200-300 mg. A single dose is taken 3-4 times a day. If necessary, the tablet is divided into parts.
It is not recommended to chew and grind the drug in other ways. The tablet or part of it is swallowed whole with a glass of water (200 ml).
When taking Levomycetin, as well as other antibiotics, enzyme preparations are prescribed that support a healthy intestinal microflora (, Bifiform, Bifidumbacterin). These drugs should also be prescribed by a doctor, since each antibiotic acts on the intestinal microflora in different ways.
Taking Levomycetin should be accompanied by periodic monitoring of the picture of peripheral blood. It is necessary to monitor the concentration of erythrocytes, platelets, leukocytes, neutrophils and other blood cells in order to recognize in time pathological changes caused by antibiotic action.
Levomycetin from diarrhea in childhood should be prescribed with caution. The antibiotic has a number of side effects, so its intake should only be prescribed by a doctor and under his supervision.
Diarrhea in a child: what to do and how to treat? Suggest video:
Levomycetin is a broad-spectrum antibacterial drug. This drug is effective against many Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. It is almost instantly absorbed from the stomach cavity and enters the bloodstream. It takes about 2 hours to reach the maximum concentration of the drug in the blood. The antibiotic penetrates well into all fluids that are in the body, including breast milk. In addition, the drug penetrates well through the placental barrier. Doctors still prescribe this drug to patients of different ages. And here many parents have a question, is it possible to give chloramphenicol to children?
General description of the drug
Levomycetin tablets are a broad-spectrum antibacterial drug that has a pronounced antimicrobial effect. The active substance of this antibiotic is chloramphenicol, which disrupts the synthesis of proteins of pathogenic microorganisms. This antibiotic is rapidly absorbed, and the effective concentration in the blood lasts up to 5 hours. Most of the drug is found in the cells of the liver and kidneys.
Pathogenic microorganisms develop resistance to this drug for a very long time.
Indications for use
Levomycetin is prescribed for children with a number of pathologies of an infectious nature, which are provoked by antibiotic-sensitive bacteria:
- typhus and typhoid fever;
- whooping cough and parawhooping cough;
- meningitis;
- chlamydia;
- sepsis;
- dysentery;
- gonorrhea;
- inflammation of the lungs of various etiologies.
Some parents start giving the child Levomycetin when diarrhea occurs, this cannot be done without a doctor's prescription, since diarrhea can be caused by viruses or fungi that are not at all sensitive to this antibacterial drug.
In some diseases, chloramphenicol is more effective than modern antibiotics.
How to take medicine correctly
If the doctor has prescribed Levomycetin for a child, then it is very important to strictly observe the dosage. If the doctor has not prescribed another treatment, then you can adhere to the doses indicated in the instructions for use:
- Children under 3 years old - appoint up to 15 mg per kilogram of body weight.
- Children from 3 to 8 years old - from 15 to 20 mg per kilogram of body weight.
- Children over 8 years old - up to 30 mg per 1 kg of body weight.
Levomycetin is a rather serious antibiotic, it is usually prescribed to children only if it cannot be replaced by more modern drug. If the doctor has prescribed chloramphenicol for the baby, then during the treatment it is necessary to constantly monitor blood counts.
Children from 3 to 8 years old are usually prescribed capsules or tablets of 125 mg up to 4 times a day. Children over 8 years of age take 250 mg capsules up to 4 times a day.
Take the drug half an hour before meals. In rare cases, in small patients after taking an antibiotic, persistent nausea occurs, with such side effects, the tablets are drunk an hour after eating.
Treatment usually lasts from a week to 10 days. With good tolerance by the child of this drug, it is possible to continue therapy for up to 2 weeks.
With diarrhea caused by poor-quality food or bacteria, you need to take chloramphenicol for no more than 5 days.
Contraindications
When prescribing Levomycetin to children, the doctor must take into account a number of contraindications in which it is categorically not recommended to take this drug. Contraindications include such diseases and conditions in a child:
- dysfunction of hematopoiesis;
- intolerance to the components that are part of the drug;
- fungal skin diseases;
- acute respiratory infections;
- angina.
In exceptional cases, an antibiotic may be prescribed to children under one year old. In this case, the expected benefit and the possible risk of taking are compared.
Side effects
Levomycetin can have many side effects, especially if it is prescribed in large doses. Side effects include nausea, vomiting, skin rashes, and irritation of the mucous membranes.
Levomycetin has a toxic effect on the hematopoietic system, therefore, during treatment with this antibacterial drug It is very important to regularly monitor the blood counts in the child. In addition, you need regular monitoring of liver and kidney function. During treatment, serious side effects such as a decrease in the number of red blood cells in the blood and aplastic anemia, which is difficult to treat. In this condition, bleeding of various origins is observed. In this case, the complications are more dangerous, the larger the dose the patient takes.
When taking tablets and capsules, children often develop dysbacteriosis, which is accompanied by the development of a fungal infection. Too large doses can cause visual impairment, hearing impairment, as well as hallucinations and mental retardation in children.
During treatment with Levomycetin, children may develop the so-called gray syndrome, in this state the little patient is constantly sick, decreases arterial pressure and body temperature, as well as the skin acquires a grayish tint. This condition is extremely dangerous for the child, as it can lead to death.
Levomycetin for the treatment of children is prescribed only as a last resort, when there is no alternative to such a medicine. It is very important to follow the prescribed dosage.
Overdose
If the dose prescribed by the doctor is not observed, overdose symptoms may occur. Their severity directly depends on the amount of Levomycetin that was taken by the child. So, the baby may experience such health disorders:
- fever, pallor, fatigue and atypical weakness;
- sore throat, bruising and bleeding of a different nature;
- dyspeptic phenomena;
- the skin becomes grayish;
- the work of the heart and breathing is disturbed;
- impaired vision and hearing.
If the dosage was greatly exceeded, then inhibition of reactions and hallucinations is observed. With untimely assistance, there may be a respiratory collapse, which will lead to death.
If symptoms of an overdose occur, the victim is washed with a stomach and given sorbents. If necessary, connect to a ventilator and carry out hemodialysis.
If a child has any symptoms of an overdose, it is urgent to call an ambulance!
Features of the drug
When prescribing chloramphenicol to children, it is necessary to take into account some features of the use of this drug.
- This antibiotic must not be mixed in a syringe with drugs penicillin group, macrolides and aminoglycosides, as they settle.
- With meningitis, levomycetin can be prescribed simultaneously with ampicillin and amoxicillin.
- The antibiotic is not combined with other medicines that increase the risk of side effects. These include hematotoxic and hepatotoxic drugs, as well as iron-containing drugs.
- The antibacterial drug reduces the effect of cyclophosphamide, due to which it does not turn into an active metabolite in the liver and does not have the proper antitumor effect.
It should be borne in mind that the concentration of Levomycetin in the cerebrospinal fluid is always higher with oral intake than when administered intravenously.
For several decades, Levomycetin has been prescribed to patients of different age groups for various infections. This drug has many side effects and a number of contraindications, so you can take it only after a doctor's prescription.