Where There Is No Dentist 2012 209
The Correct Dose
Before you give medicine, think about the sick person’s weight and age. The
smaller children are, the less medicine they need. For example, pain medicine
such as aspirin (300 mg tablets) or acetaminophen (500 mg tablets) can be
broken up into smaller tablets:
Four times a day:
Adults
take 2 tablets
Childen 8–12
take 1 tablet
Children 3–7
take ½ tablet
Babies take
acetaminophen
only, ¼ tablet
Note: Do not hold aspirin on the bad tooth. Aspirin has acid that can hurt the
tooth. Always swallow aspirin immediately. For severe pain, when aspirin
does not help, an adult can take 30 mg of codeine 4 to 6 times a day, as
needed.
Antibiotics: To Fight Infection
Antibiotics kill bacteria that cause infections. Some antibiotics work better than
others on certain bacteria. If you can, test the pus (page 220) to find which
antibiotic works best.
Do not give penicillin to a person who is allergic to it. Ask about the
person’s allergies before you give penicillin pills or injections. When you inject
penicillin, always keep epinephrine (Adrenalin) ready to inject if the person
shows signs of allergic shock. Stay with the person for 30 minutes. If you see
these signs…
• cool, moist, pale, gray skin (cold sweat)
• weak, rapid pulse (heartbeat)
• difficulty breathing
• loss of consciousness
… immediately inject epinephrine: .5 ml for adults or .25 ml for children.
If necessary, inject the same dose again after 20 or 30 minutes. For more
information on allergic shock, see Where There Is No Doctor, pages 70 to 71.
Always give the full dose of penicillin or any antibiotic, even if the
person feels better. See page 94 for the correct dose of penicillin or
erythromycin. Erythromycin also comes in liquid form. It has 125 mg in 5
ml, so 10 ml of liquid (about 2 large teaspoons) is the same as one 250 mg
tablet.
It is important to take a strong first dose of penicillin or erythromycin, and
then smaller doses 4 times a day for 3 to 5 days after that. Carefully read the
instructions on page 94.