antibiotic dosage ...

[sunny-dave]

... just a thought after Tilly's thread.

I'm a 6ft 3in bloke - built like a brick .. err.. outhouse. My guess is that Tilly isn't.

Does a GP adjust the antibiotic dose to take account of body mass - and if not, why not?

< I'm on 500mg Flucloxacillin, 4 times a day for a week >

What about pain killers - am I getting short changed by taking the standard dose? Is a 5ft, 7 stone woman (less than half my body mass) taking the same regime being overdosed?

Sqad ?

[Tilly2]

Dave, my dosage is half of yours.

250mg, four times a day.

[sunny-dave]

Aha - I await Dr Sqad with interest ...

[Sqad]

sunny......it's the bloody germs that you are killing not the host. There is a critical blood level of antibiotic which kills them (name i have forgotten) and that is independent on the size of the host.

Pain killers....same principal........the minimal dose that cures the pain is the correct dose, irrespective of body height and mass.

[sunny-dave]

So everyone has approximately the same blood volume ?

[Sqad]

sunny........good point.

No, children clearly do not....the lethal dose of antibiotic to the organism is in mgms/cc which of course depends upon blood volume.

(sqad is being cornered and it looks as though bullsh1tting is not working)

[humbersloop]

only if it's measured in pints ....

<<legs it>>

[Nibble]

measured in drams?


<<also legs it>>

[slaney]

An average dose works pretty well for everyone and adequate blood levels are achieved for most people. Because Fluclox is relatively non toxic, even if your 5ft 7 stone woman takes 500mg qds, her higher blood levels will not be harmful.
In more toxic drugs the doses are worked out in mg/Kg, or even mg per square meter.

[Sqad]

Thanks slaney.......

[Baldric]

Nibble, is that Dram Stoker?

[tonyav]

Make a run for it, quick sqad lol.

[sunny-dave]

Thanks Slaney & Sqad