AboutNigel Simmons Expertise I am happy to answer general questions on medicines and hospital care. If possible, please use approved / chemical names rather than brands which are not internationally recognised.
Like all health professionals I am bound by a duty of care which prevents me giving detailed information about medication or treatment of people other than the questioner.
I will endeavour to help wherever possible or point towards more appropriate advice. If however your question crosses too far into patient confidentiality, I hope you will understand why I cannot answer your question.
Consider.. would you want me to discuss your care with a friend or relative without your knowledge?
Experience Registered as a UK pharmacist in 1982 and have worked in a number of hospital and health management posts around the UK. Formerly Chief Pharmacist for a 440 bed general hospital in Cambridgeshire.
Past/Present clients Previously Sysop on CompuServe UK Professionals forum.
Question the pharmacist told me to give my 9yr old daughter 2 teaspoonsful but i made a mistake and gave her 4 teaspoonsful can you please tell me what to do or if i should worry or when should i give her the next dose.....
thank you for your help
Answer Brenda
The safety range for penicillins is usually wide, so I would not expect significant problems from the dosing error, so I hope that puts your mind at rest. The most likely consequence could be an increased possibility of developing a diarrhoea because of overkill of bacteria in the gut.
Assuming you have only given a couple of high doses then there is no need to make any dose adjustments. Loading doses are commonly used with penicillins, so you have done nothing more than that. Indeed the loading dose may make symptoms and fever settle more quickly which may be useful for a child.
If you have given many more doses at higher than intended, you will be likely to run out of medication before the course has been completed. A few doses would not really be an issue, but several days is a potential risk of the infection recurring. If necessary contact your doctor and take their advice whether another few days (normal) treatment is advisable.
With regard to the next dose, I would suggest delaying it by a couple of hours, just to allow the previous dose to be eliminated. If my response is too late for that, then again it will not be a problem.
