PE Initial Treatment

Give high dose IV antibiotics

Treatment

Benzylpenicillin IV 50mg/kg body weight maximum 2-4 grams every 6 hours

AND

Flucloxacillin IV 50mg/kg body weight maximum 1 gram every 6 hours

Alternative Therapy for Penicillin Allergy

Clindamycin IV 6.25-10 mg/kg body weight maximum 1.2 grams 4 times/day

Note

Broader spectrum agents to cover aerobic Gram negative bacilli are indicated in case of Hospital Acquired Pneumonia, following surgery/trauma/aspiration

Anaerobic infection should be considered in children with risk of aspiration

Further antibiotic management should be according to antibiotic sensitivities in pleural fluid culture positive cases. Initial IV empirical antibiotic treatment should be continued in culture negative cases