Ceftriaxone Treatment Guidelines

Dosage and Administration

• For bacterial meningitis, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 2 grams IV every 12 hours (total 4 grams daily) 1
• For disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends 1 gram IM or IV every 24 hours, continuing for 24-48 hours after improvement begins 2, 1
• For gonococcal conjunctivitis, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a single dose of 1 gram IM 2

Pediatric Treatment

• For febrile infants 22-28 days old, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends ceftriaxone 50 mg/kg per dose every 24 hours 3
• For meningitis in pediatric patients, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends an initial dose of 100 mg/kg (not to exceed 4 grams), followed by 100 mg/kg/day (not to exceed 4 grams daily), with a typical duration of 7-14 days 3

Special Populations

• For patients with syphilis who are allergic to penicillin, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends ceftriaxone as an alternative treatment 4, 5, 6
• For neurosyphilis in penicillin-allergic patients, the American College of Physicians recommends ceftriaxone 2g daily either IM or IV for 10-14 days 1

Duration of Treatment

• For disseminated gonococcal infection, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends treatment for 24-48 hours after improvement begins, then switch to oral therapy to complete a full week of treatment 1