Augmentin Dosing for Respiratory Infections
Adult Dosing
- The American College of Cardiology is not relevant here, however, for upper respiratory tract infections, the recommended dose is 875 mg/125 mg every 12 hours or 500 mg/125 mg every 8 hours for 7-10 days 1
- For lower respiratory tract infections, the same dosing regimen of 875 mg/125 mg every 12 hours or 500 mg/125 mg every 8 hours is recommended 1
- Treatment duration should typically be 7-10 days for most respiratory infections in adults 1
Pediatric Dosing
- For children under 3 years with lower respiratory infections, the recommended dose is 80-100 mg/kg/day of the amoxicillin component in three divided doses 2
- For children 3-5 years, amoxicillin-clavulanate (80 mg/kg/day amoxicillin component) is justified when there is insufficient vaccination against H. influenzae type b or coexistence of purulent acute otitis media 2
- Treatment duration should be 8-10 days for children under 2 years and 5 days for older children with acute otitis media 3
Specific Respiratory Infections
Upper Respiratory Infections
- For acute otitis media in children under 2 years, antibiotic therapy is recommended; for children over 2 years, antibiotics should be reserved for cases with marked symptoms (high fever, intense earache) 3
- In otitis associated with purulent conjunctivitis (likely H. influenzae infection), amoxicillin-clavulanate is indicated 3
- For febrile painful otitis (likely pneumococcal infection), amoxicillin may be sufficient, but amoxicillin-clavulanate provides broader coverage against potential H. influenzae 3
Lower Respiratory Infections
- For acute bronchitis in children with high fever (>38.5°C) persisting for more than 3 days, amoxicillin-clavulanate is appropriate 2
- For community-acquired pneumonia in children under 3 years, amoxicillin is typically sufficient unless there's concern for beta-lactamase-producing organisms 2