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A Robust Pneumonia Model in Immunocompetent Rodents to Evaluate Antibacterial Efficacy against S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa or A. baumannii
09:17

A Robust Pneumonia Model in Immunocompetent Rodents to Evaluate Antibacterial Efficacy against S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa or A. baumannii

Published on: January 2, 2017

Amoxicillin for postexposure inhalational anthrax in pediatrics: rationale for dosing recommendations

John J Alexander1, Philip M Colangelo, Charles K Cooper

  • 1Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA.

The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal
|October 4, 2008
PubMed

Insights

For pediatric patients under 40 kg, amoxicillin at 45 mg/kg/day in three doses is effective for inhalational anthrax. Lower doses or longer intervals risk treatment failure against Bacillus anthracis.

Area of Science:

  • Pharmacology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pediatric Medicine

Background:

  • Amoxicillin is evaluated for treating inhalational anthrax post-exposure.
  • Understanding amoxicillin's pharmacokinetic profile in pediatric patients is crucial for effective anthrax treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the safety and plasma pharmacokinetics of amoxicillin for pediatric post-exposure inhalational anthrax.
  • To determine optimal dosing regimens for amoxicillin in children.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing safety and pharmacokinetic data for amoxicillin.
  • Analysis of amoxicillin's time above the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for Bacillus anthracis.

Main Results:

  • Amoxicillin at 45 mg/kg/day, divided into three doses for pediatric patients (<40 kg), achieves adequate time above the MIC (<=0.5 microg/mL) for susceptible Bacillus anthracis (75-100% of dosing interval).
  • Doses below 45 mg/kg/day or dosing intervals exceeding 8 hours are insufficient for effective treatment.

Conclusions:

  • A specific amoxicillin dosage regimen is recommended for pediatric post-exposure inhalational anthrax.
  • Adherence to the 45 mg/kg/day dosage, divided every 8 hours, is critical for therapeutic success in children.

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