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Treatment - Initial Therapy
 

	Pharmacologic Therapy for Bacillus Anthracis Infection
	Therapy Dosage for Adults Dosage for Children Treatment of Infection * Penicillin V 200-400 mg orally 4 times/day 25-50 mg/kg of body weight/day orally in divided doses 2 to 40 times/day Penicillin G 8 million-12 million U total, intravenously in divided doses every 4-6 hr 100,000-150,000 U/kg/day in divided doses every 4-6 hr Streptomycin 30 mg/kg intramuscularly or intravenously per day   Tetracycline 250-500 mg orally or intravenously 4 times/day Tetracycline is not approved for children Doxycycline 200 mg orally or intravenously as a loading dose, then 50-100 mg every 12 hr Dxycycline is not approved for children <9 yr old Erythromycin 250 mg orally every 12 hr 40 mg/kg/day orally in divided doses every 6 hr Erythromycin lactobionate 15-20 mg/kg intravenously per day 20-40 mg/kg/day intravenously in divided doses every 6 hr Chloramphenicol 50-100 mg/kg/day orally or intravenously in divided doses every 6 hr 50-75 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 6 hr Ciprofloxacin 250-750 mg orally twice/day; 200-400 mg intravenously every 12 hr 20-30 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 12 hr; oral or intravenous dosing is not approved for patients <18 yr old       Prophylaxis Doxycycline 100 mg orally twice/day for 4 wk   Ciprofloxacin 500 mg orally twice/day for 4 wk         Corticosteriod therapy for severe edema Dexamethasone 0.75-0.90 mg/kg/day orally, intravenously, or intramuscularly in divided doses every 6 hr 0.25-0.5 mg/kg every 6 hr Prednisone 1-2 mg/kg or 5-60 mg orally/day 0.5-2 mg/kg/day
	Table taken from source (7). * Drugs should be administered intravenously in the gastrointestinal, inhalational, and meningeal forms of anthrax (7).