4.3.2 Treatment for pneumonia
If you have classified the child as having pneumonia you can treat the child without referring him or her to hospital. The child will need treating with antibiotics.
Table 4.2 below sets out the oral antibiotics from which you can select the appropriate antibiotic and the dose. The first-line antibiotic is the drug that you give first. If the child does not respond to the first antibiotic (cotrimoxazole) you gave, then you should replace the first antibiotic with another one; the latter one is called second-line antibiotic (for example, amoxicillin). Among the three types of cotrimoxazole formulation, choose the one that is available in your health post.
COTRIMOXAZOLE (Trimethoprim + Sulphamethoxazole) Give two times daily for five days | AMOXICILLIN Give three times daily for five days | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AGE or WEIGHT | ADULT TABLET 80 mg Trimethoprim + 400 mg Sulphamethoxazole | PAEDIATRIC TABLET 20mg Trimethoprim + 100 mg Sulphamethoxazole | SYRUP 40 mg Trimethoprim + 200 mg Sulphamethoxazole per 5 ml | TABLET 250 mg | SYRUP 125 mg per 5 ml |
| 2 months up to 12 months (4‒10 kg) | ½ | 2 | 5 ml | ½ | 5 ml |
| 12 months up to 5 years (10‒19 kg) | 1 | 3 | 7.5 ml | 1 | 10 ml |
4.3.1 Treatment for severe pneumonia or very severe disease