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
Last modified: Thursday, 15 May 2014, 4:23 PM