356 Where There Is No Doctor 2011 Green Pages
Dosage of doxycycline—tablets of 100 mg.
Give doxycycline by mouth twice a day.
In each dose give:
adults: 100 mg. (1 tablet)
children 8 to 12: 50 mg. (½ tablet)
children under 8: Do not use doxycycline.
CHLORAMPHENICOL:
AN ANTIBIOTIC FOR CERTAIN
SEVERE INFECTIONS
Chloramphenicol (Chloromycetin)
Name:_________________________________________
Often comes in:
capsules of 250 mg.
Price:_________________ for_ ___________________
mixture, 150 mg. in 5 ml.
Price:_________________ for_ ___________________
injections, 1000 mg. per vial
Price:_________________ for_ ___________________
This broad-spectrum antibiotic fights a wide
range of different bacteria. It is cheap, but there
is some danger in using it. For this reason, its use
must be very limited.
Chloramphenicol should be used only for
typhoid and for very serious infections that are
not cured by sulfas, penicillin, tetracycline,
or ampicillin. For life-threatening illnesses
such as meningitis, peritonitis, deep gut
wounds, septicemia, or severe childbirth fever,
chloramphenicol may be used when less
dangerous medicines (like cephalosporins) are not
available.
Ampicillin usually works as well as or better than
chloramphenicol, and is much safer.
WARNING: Chloramphenicol harms the blood
of some persons. It is even more dangerous for
newborn babies, especially premature babies. To
newborn babies with serious infections, give
ampicillin rather than chloramphenicol if this is at
all possible. As a rule, do not give chloramphenicol
to babies under 1 month of age.
Take care not to give more than the
recommended dose of chloramphenicol. For
babies, the dose is very small (see below).
Avoid long or repeated use.
In many places, typhoid has become resistant
to chloramphenicol. Try ciprofloxacin, ampicillin, or
cotrimoxazole.
Chloramphenicol taken by mouth often does
more good than when it is injected, and is less
dangerous. Except in rare cases when the person
cannot swallow, do not inject chloramphenicol.
Dosage for chloramphenicol (50 to 100 mg./kg./day)—
capsules of 250 mg., or a mixture of 125 mg. in 5 ml.
Give by mouth 4 times a day.
In each dose give:
adults: 500 to 750 mg. (2 to 3 capsules).
For typhoid, peritonitis, and other
dangerous infections the higher dose
should be given. (3 capsules 4 times a
day is 12 capsules a day.)
children 8 to 12 years: 250 mg. (1 capsule
or 2 teaspoons of mixture)
children 3 to 7 years: 125 mg.
(½ capsule or 1 teaspoon)
babies 1 month to 2 years: give 12 mg.
(½ ml. of the mixture or 1⁄20 part of a
capsule) for each kg. of body weight.
(This way, a 5 kg. baby would get 60 mg.,
which is ½ teaspoon of mixture, or
¼ capsule, at each dose.)
newborn babies: As a general rule, do not
use chloramphenicol. If there is no other
choice, give 5 mg. (¼ ml. or 5 drops of
the mixture) for each kg. of body weight.
Give a 3 kg. baby 15 mg. (15 drops of the
mixture) 4 times a day, or about ¼ capsule
a day. Do not give more.
THE SULFAS (OR SULFONAMIDES):
INEXPENSIVE MEDICINE
FOR COMMON INFECTIONS
Sulfadiazine, sulfisoxazole, sulfadimidine,
or ‘triple sulfa’
Name:__________________ Price:________ for_ ______
Often comes in: tablets of 500 mg.
The sulfas or sulfonamides fight many kinds of
bacteria, but they are weaker than many antibiotics
and more likely to cause allergic reactions (itching)
and other problems. Because they are cheap and
can be taken by mouth, they are still useful.
Not all the sulfas are used the same way or
have the same dosage. If you have a sulfonamide
other than one of those listed above, be sure of the
correct use and dosage before you use it.