Dehydroemetine dosage and administration

Dehydroemetine
MEBADIN® Prescribing Information
General Information
Clinical Information
Dosage and Administration
Precautions
Use in Pregnancy
Adverse Effects
Drug Interactions
Storage

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Dosage and Administration

Adults: 1 mg/kg daily, to a maximum of 60 mg, for up to 4-6 days. This dosage should be reduced by up to 50% in elderly and severely ill patients.

Children: 1 mg/kg daily for no more than 5 days.

Injections should always be given intramuscularly. Intravenous injection is unacceptably dangerous and holds no advantage. At least 6 weeks should elapse before a second course is administered.

In amoebic dysentery, supplementary treatment with tetracycline reduces the risk of bacterial superinfection.

In hepatic abscess, supplementary treatment with chloroquine, which is selectively concentrated in the liver, may be given orally, either concurrently or immediately afterwards.

All patients should subsequently receive diloxanide by mouth to eliminate surviving organisms in the colon.