GIVEN IN 2 TO 4 DIVIDED DOSES AT DOSE LEVELS OF 2.5 TO 5 MG/KG PER DAY, BY IV OR IM ROUTE OVER 2 - 5 MTS PERIOD, FOR PATIENTS WITH NORMAL RENAL FUNCTION, DEPENDING ON THE SEVERITY OF THE INFECTION.
CAN BE GIVEN AS A 50 ML INTRAVENOUS INFUSION OVER A PERIOD OF 30 MINUTES. PATIENTS WITH A TOTALLY IMPLANTABLE VENOUS ACCESS DEVICE (TIVAD) IN PLACE MAY TOLERATE A BOLUS INJECTION OF UP TO 2 MILLION UNITS IN 10 ML GIVEN OVER A MINIMUM OF 5 MINUTES (SEE RECONSTITUTION FOR PARENETRAL ADMINISTRATION ).
THE DOSE IS DETERMINED BY THE SEVERITY AND TYPE OF INFECTION AND THE AGE, WEIGHT AND RENAL FUNCTION OF THE PATIENT. SHOULD CLINICAL OR BACTERIOLOGICAL RESPONSE BE SLOW THE DOSE MAY BE INCREASED AS INDICATED BY THE PATIENT`S CONDITION.
A MINIMUM OF 5 DAYS TREATMENT IS GENERALLY RECOMMENDED. FOR THE TREATMENT OF RESPIRATORY EXACERBATIONS IN CYSTIC FIBROSIS PATIENTS, TREATMENT SHOULD BE CONTINUED FOR UP TO 12 DAYS.
CHILDREN AND ADULTS (INCLUDING THE ELDERLY)
UP TO 60KG : 50,000 UNITS/KG/DAY TO A MAXIMUM OF 75,000 UNITS/KG/DAY. THE TOTAL DAILY DOSE SHOULD BE DIVIDED INTO THREE DOSES GIVEN AT APPROXIMATELY 8-HOUR INTERVALS.
OVER 60KG : 1-2 MILLION UNITS THREE TIMES A DAY. THE MAXIMUM DOSE IS 6 MILLION UNITS IN 24 HOURS.
ANOMALOUS DISTRIBUTION IN PATIENTS WITH CYSTIC FIBROSIS MAY REQUIRE HIGHER DOSES IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THERAPEUTIC SERUM LEVELS.