Indications
- Upper respiratory tract infections: Tonsillitis, peritonsillar abscess, pharyngitis, laryngitis, sinusitis, and secondary infections in cold and influenza.
- Lower respiratory tract infections:Â Tracheitis, acute and chronic bronchitis. Mycoplasma pneumoniae (lobar pneumonia, broncho pneumonia, primary atypical pneumoniae), bronchiectasis.
- Skin and soft tissue infections: Boils and carbuncles, paronychia, abscesses, pustular acne, impetigo, cellulitis, furuncolosis, erythrasma.
- Veneral infections: Non-specific urethritis, syphilis (if the patient is allergic to penicillin).
- Gastro-intestinal infections: Cholecystitis, Staphylococcal enterocolitis, infectious diarrhoea, & cholera.
- Ear and oral infections: 0titis media and otitis externa, gingivitis, dental abscesses.
- Prophylaxis: Pre-operative and post-operative, trauma, burns, rheumatic fever.
- Other infections: Diphtheria, whooping cough.
Therapeutic Class
Pharmacology
Dosage & Administration
Child up to 2 years: 125 mg every 6 hours.
Neonates: 30 to 45 mg/kg daily in 3 divided doses.
Elderly: Same as for adults.
If administration on a twice daily schedule is desirable, one half of the total daily dose may be given every 12 hours, one hour before meal.
Amoebic dysentery:
- Adult: 250 – 500 mg four times daily for 10 – 14 days.
- Children: 30 – 50 mg/kg/day in divided doses for 10 – 14 days.
Pertussis: 30 – 50 mg/kg/day in divided doses for 5-14 days depending upon eradication of a positive culture.
Streptococcal infections: In the treatment of group A beta haemolytic streptococcal infections, therapeutic dosage of Erythromycin should be administered for at least 10 days.
Acne: The usual dosage regimen of erythromycin in the treatment of acne is 500 mg twice daily for 3 months. Then the dose is to be reduced to 250 mg twice daily for another 3 months.
Early Syphilis: 500 mg 4 times daily for 14 days.
Uncomplicated genital Chlamydia nongonococcal Urethritis: 500 mg twice daily for 14 days.
Prophylaxis: In continuous prophylaxis of streptococcal infections in person with a rheumatic heart disease, the dosage is 250 mg twice daily.
When Erythromycin is used prior to surgery to prevent endocarditis caused by alpha haemolytic streptococci, a recommended schedule:
- For children: 20 mg/Kg 1.5 – 2 hours pre-operatively and 10 mg/kg every 6 hours for 8 doses post-operatively.
- For adults: The dose is 1 g, 1.5 – 2 hours pre-operatively and 500 mg every 6 hours for 8 doses post-operatively.
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