DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION
Not recommended for use in pediatric patients less than 2 months of age.
Urinary Tract Infections and Shigellosis in Adults and Pediatric Patients, and Acute Otitis Media in Children
Adults
The usual adult dosage in the treatment of urinary tract infections is 1 BACTRIM DS (double strength) tablet or 2 BACTRIM tablets every 12 hours for 10 to 14 days. An identical daily dosage is used for 5 days in the treatment of shigellosis.
Children
The recommended dose for children with urinary tract infections or acute otitis media is 40 mg/kg sulfamethoxazole and 8 mg/kg trimethoprim per 24 hours, given in two divided doses every 12 hours for 10 days. An identical daily dosage is used for 5 days in the treatment of shigellosis. The following table is a guideline for the attainment of this dosage:
Children 2 months of age or older: | Weight | Dose--every 12 hours |
| lb | kg | Tablets |
| 22 | 10 | – |
| 44 | 20 | 1 |
| 66 | 30 | 1½ |
| 88 | 40 | 2 or 1 DS tablet |
For Patients with Impaired Renal Function
When renal function is impaired, a reduced dosage should be employed using the following table:
| Creatinine Clearance (mL/min) | Recommended Dosage Regimen |
| Above 30 | Usual standard regimen |
| 15-30 | ½ the usual regimen |
| Below 15 | Use not recommended |
Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Bronchitis in Adults
The usual adult dosage in the treatment of acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis is 1 BACTRIM DS (double strength) tablet or 2 BACTRIM tablets every 12 hours for 14 days.
Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia
Treatment: Adults and Children
The recommended dosage for patients with documented Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia is 75 to 100 mg/kg sulfamethoxazole and 15 to 20 mg/kg trimethoprim per 24 hours given in equally divided doses every 6 hours for 14 to 21 days.11 The following table is a guideline for the upper limit of this dosage.
| Weight | Dose--every 6 hours |
| lb | kg | Tablets |
| 18 | 8 | – |
| 35 | 16 | 1 |
| 53 | 24 | 1½ |
| 70 | 32 | 2 or 1 DS tablet |
| 88 | 40 | 2½ |
| 106 | 48 | 3 or 1½ DS tablets |
| 141 | 64 | 4 or 2 DS tablets |
| 176 | 80 | 5 or 2½ DS tablets |
For the lower limit dose (75 mg/kg sulfamethoxazole and 15 mg/kg trimethoprim per 24 hours) administer 75% of the dose in the above table.
Prophylaxis
Adults
The recommended dosage for prophylaxis in adults is 1 BACTRIM DS (double strength) tablet daily.12
Children
For children, the recommended dose is 750 mg/m2/day sulfamethoxazole with 150 mg/m2/day trimethoprim given orally in equally divided doses twice a day, on 3 consecutive days per week.
The total daily dose should not exceed 1600 mg sulfamethoxazole and 320 mg trimethoprim.13 The following table is a guideline for the attainment of this dosage in children:
| Body Surface Area | Dose--every 12 hours |
| (m2) | Tablets |
| 0.26 | – |
| 0.53 | ½ |
| 1.06 | 1 |
Traveler's Diarrhea in Adults
For the treatment of traveler's diarrhea, the usual adult dosage is 1 BACTRIM DS (double strength) tablet or 2 BACTRIM tablets every 12 hours for 5 days.
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