Case study | Chemistry | Minnesota State Colleges and Universities - St. Paul, MN

1. Some medications are formulated such that there is a slow release of the active ingredients. Such formulations are known as “extended release.” Azithromycin ER is a single-dose, extended release formulation. Th e recommended dosage for a child 6 months and older who is brought to the Emergency Room with community acquired pneumonia is 60 mg/kg administered orally. Azithromycin (immediate release) has much faster onset of action and acts almost immediately when administered intravenously (by IV). Clinicians exercise clinical judgment when deciding whether or not to treat a pediatric patient with azithromycin intravenously. If therapy is deemed necessary, a dose of 10 mg/kg for those age 6 months to 16 years is considered reasonable.

(a) Based on the information above, what would be an appropriate dose of azithromycin ER for a baby weighing 17 lbs such as Amaan? (3 points) Note: Th e dosage used in this problem was obtained from the reference: http://www.drugs.com/dosage/azithromycin.html#Usual_Pediatric_Dose_for_Pneumonia (b) How does the appropriate dose of azithromycin ER for a baby weighing 17 lbs such as Amaan compare with the dose of azithromycin that was given intravenously to Amaan. (3 points) (c) What would be an appropriate dose of azithromycin (immediate release) administered by IV for a baby weighing 17 lbs such as Amaan? How does your calculated dose compare with that indicated by Dr. Loiselle? (3 points)