Ertapenem

Adults: Dosage Adults (over 12 years): 1 g given once a day. Pediatric (3 months to 12 years): 15 mg/kg twice daily (not to exceed 1 g/day). Ertapenem may be given by IV infusion or IM injection. When given intravenously, it should be infused over 30 minutes. IM administration of Ertapenem may be used as an alternative to IV administration for the treatment of infections where intramuscular therapy is appropriate. The usual duration of therapy with Ertapenem is 3 to 14 days, but this varies with the type of infection and the causative pathogen(s). When clinically indicated, a switch to a suitable oral antimicrobial may be made once clinical improvement has been observed. Prophylaxis of surgical site infection following elective colorectal surgery: To prevent surgical site infections after surgery in adults, the recommended dosage is 1 g IV given as a single intravenous dose 1 hour before the surgical incision. Patients with renal insufficiency: Ertapenem may be used to treat infections in adult patients with renal insufficiency. In patients whose creatinine clearance is above 30 mL/min, no dosage adjustment is necessary. Adult patients with advanced renal insufficiency (creatinine clearance of 30 mL/min or less), including those on haemodialysis, should receive 500 mg daily. There are no data in paediatric patients with renal insufficiency. Patients on haemodialysis: If Ertapenem is given at least 6 hours before haemodialysis, no supplementary dose is needed. When adult patients on haemodialysis are given Ertapenem within 6 hours before haemodialysis, a supplementary 30% dose is recommended after the haemodialysis session. There are no data in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis or haemofiltration. There are no data in paediatric patients on haemodialysis. No dosage adjustment is recommended in patients with impaired hepatic function.