antibiotic during a 12 hr or 24 hr period?

[mangopudding]

My dd needs to take antibiotic 3 times a day. Is it taken during a 12 hr or 24 hr period? In the past I always give it to her every 8 hours so I usually woke her up in the middle of night which is not too practical. Is it OK just to spread it out during the day only?

I also really worry about her taking too many courses of antibiotics. Does anyone of your dc always on antibiotics? If so, how many courses so far?

My dd (9) had a major tooth infection at the beginning of the summer holidays and she was on 2 different type of antibiotics 3 times a day (almost adult dose). I just gave them when she got up, mid afternoon and at bedtime. I figured she was so ill that she needed as much sleep as she could get.

I don't think that doctors prescribe them unless they feel the patient really needs them any more. This is the first time DD has had them in ages though there was a period when she was 6 months - 2 years when she was forever getting ear infections and was prescribed them around 4 times.

My DS on the other hand is nearly 7 and has never had them. I guess it just depends on the child.

The is no need to wake a child up to give antibiotics, provided they are spaced regularly through the day its fine, blood levels remain adequate.

My grown up DD never had them til she was 18 and had viral meningitis!! [hshock]

My DS had loads at 6 for tonsillitis until I let him fight it himself - imagine Dr Quinn medicine woman, feverish, delerious child at deaths door - the fever has broken and he will live!!! No really he was VERY ill so I would not advise it, I though being a nurse I knew what I was doing...but I didnt [hblush] Mind you he's grown up now and has never had antibiotics since !!!

I have lost count of the number of times DS who is nearly 2 has had them. But each time they have been needed!

That would be three times over a 24 hour period, i.e. once every 8 hours. For example, 8 am, 4pm, and midnight.

Cramming it all within 12 hours when she is awake will mean once every 4 hours which if very different than once every 8 hours. Also, antibiotic levels are supposed to remain consistently above a certain level for proper use, and that means not going 12 hours without a dose.

You don't really need to wake her up for the midnight dose. Put the antibiotic in a syringe, lift her head a bit only slightly waking her, and slowly administer it on the inside of her cheek. Follow with water.

The majority of parents dont wake children to give meds unless they child is very unwell and needs them and where timing may be more important, and the majority of children get better regardless. Even in hospitals patients are not woken to give oral antibiotics. The ideal is to space it out for peak plasma levels, but this is rarely done by most parents, and those kids survive. Today many docs wont prescribe for ear infections and the research shows it only shortens the symptoms by about 12 hours and often with nasty side effects like diarrhoea. Its quite a knotty subject really, but speak to a pharmacist who can talk you through the pros and cons. I wouldnt fancy syringing meds in a semi conscious child thats for sure.