The results from research mean that all hospitals can now choose oral amoxicillin for newborns with an infection
A new study shows that newborns with an infection can be treated at home with an antibiotic drink. Previously, this was done with an IV, which required the baby to stay in the hospital for days.
Finally, hospital pharmacist Robert Flint and his fellow pharmacists and pediatricians have an answer to the question they regularly receive: can non-life-threatening newborns with an infection receive the antibiotic amoxicillin orally instead of through an IV? And what is the correct dosage? Amoxicillin is a very frequently prescribed antibiotic in newborns.
In a new study, published in Clinical Infectious Diseases Flint and colleagues conclude that amoxicillin drink is an adequate and patient-friendly alternative to intravenous amoxicillin. They determined the exposure in neonates after oral ingestion of amoxicillin and looked for the correct dosage for these vulnerable patients.
Shorter recording
The findings substantiate the previous ones RAIN-studie in which oral amoxicillin was compared with amoxicillin via infusion. This showed that the switch to an amoxicillin drink is justified and leads to a shorter hospital stay for the newborn.
‘Thanks to the new study, we can now put the switch into practice. We can guarantee that the amoxicillin drink leads to a sufficiently high antibiotic level in the blood. We first had to figure this out carefully before we can adjust the prescribing guidelines,” Flint explains.
Dosage recommendations
In their scientific article, Flint and colleagues provide new dosing recommendations for oral amoxicillin for children under one month of age. The dosage recommendations will soon also be available in the Children’s formularythe website about medicine use in children.
The results mean that all hospitals can now choose oral amoxicillin for newborns with an infection. This means that the children no longer have to stay in the hospital during treatment, which is necessary with antibiotics through the IV. Flint also sees advantages outside the Netherlands. ‘Oral antibiotics are a solution in low-income countries, where the risk of infection is high and access to care is less good. Oral antibiotics offer the option of treatment outside the hospital. That’s why it’s nice that there are now clear dosage recommendations.’
Bron: Erasmus MC
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2023-09-28 10:00:51
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