Antibiotic Prescribing Guidelines Update

South Central Antibiotic Network (SCAN) have recently updated the MicroGuide site.

Version 7.0 includes:

• Updated adult Acute Otitis Media (AOM) page to include the option of prescribing Otigo® (Phenazone 40mg/g with Lidocaine 10mg/g) if available in local formulary
• Moderate changes to most sections of Mastitis page, more information on how to manage treatment failure, recurrence etc.
• Major changes to Travellers' Diarrhoea (Stand-by or Prophylactic Treatment for bacterial causes) page, including treatment options changed
• Moderate changes to COPD Acute Exacerbation page, particularly warnings around Fluoroquinolones
• Drug links added throughout SCAN guidance for all Fluoroquinolones to link directly through to MHRA drug safety updates and cautions around their use.

The SCAN guidelines can be accessed here:

• https://viewer.microguide.global/SCAN/SCAN

Amoxicillin dose for tonsilitis in children

Local hospitals have recently had several queries from pharmacies about the dose of amoxicillin that has been prescribed for the treatment of tonsilitis in children.

The treatment recommended for tonsilitis in children, if the FeverPAIN score is 4 or more, is:

Amoxicillin for 7 days 40mg/kg po BD (max 1g per dose) (off-label)

Or by age:

3-11 months: 125mg po TDS or 250mg po BD (off-label)

1-4 years: 250mg po TDS or 500mg po BD (off-label)

5-11 years: 500mg po TDS or 750mg po BD (off-label)

12 years and over: 500mg po TDS or 1g po BD (off-label)