The fact that antibiotics have taken firm positions in the practice of medical professionals is understandable. The number of diseases caused by microbes and bacteria is constantly growing, to combat them, drugs with enhanced action are required. Experienced specialists try to selectively select the choice of bactericides for children. “Zinnat” is very popular in the field of pediatrics, it has established itself as an effective tool. The following is an introduction to the use of this medicine.
General information
The main active ingredient is cefuroxime, so the drug belongs to second-generation antibiotics. Included in the group of cephalosporins, shows resistance to beta-lactamases. It can have a bactericidal (destroy pathogens) and bacteriostatic (inhibit the reproduction of microbes) effect. For children, Zinnat is preferred because of its low toxicity. This makes it possible to use one of its dosage forms (suspension) for the treatment of crumbs up to 3 years. However, this does not give a reason to prescribe a medicine for your baby yourself. An exact dose is needed here, since the intensity of exposure and the degree of exposure of the active substance to certain types of biological objects will depend on it. The alleged pathogen can only be determined by a doctor based on tests.
Let's see what the “Zinnat” for children will tell us about how safe it is, instructions for its use.
Release forms and composition
The bactericidal preparation is available in the form of elongated tablets and granules for the preparation of suspensions, packaged in bottles.
Oval-shaped tablets are film-coated. They have white or yellowish color, biconvex. Available with a dosage of 125 mg and 250 mg. The composition includes cefuroxime and the following additional components: hydrogenated vegetable oil, croscarmellose sodium, sodium lauryl sufate, silicon dioxide.
There is another type of medicine from which a suspension for children is obtained. Zinnat granular (except for the main component with a calculation of 5 ml / 125 ml) contains excipients other than those found in tablets. These include sucrose, potassium acesulfame, xanthan gum, stearic acid, aspartame, purified water, flavoring. In a glass container is 50 ml of the drug. A measuring cup and dosing spoon are included.
Substances that make up the antibiotic will not adversely affect the child’s immune system. According to the information from the instructions, “Zinnat” for children in the form of a solution will be much preferable, because it has a pleasant aroma. This is due to the fact that it is not recommended to crush or break the tablets, and swallow them whole - for the baby the task is not an easy task. In addition, the presence of auxiliary components gives the solution the necessary consistency, color and taste.
Parents are worried about how taking antibiotics can affect their child’s health. Pay attention to what medical workers write about this in their reviews. Zinnat for children is used from the first days of infection. Most experts are inclined to believe that only the timely and proper use of the medicine will help the children's body cope with the disease. For example, if you reduce the recommended dose during treatment, this will lead to the emergence of microorganisms resistant to the bactericidal agent.
The bactericidal ability of an antibiotic
I would like to mention right away that not all pathogens are sensitive to the drug. Resistant bacteria such as pseudomonas, listeria, and staphylococci remain resistant. An antibiotic may also be useless with respect to enterobacter, cytrobacteria, enterococci, legionella. Infections in which Zinnat is necessary for children, in particular, are caused by gonococci, salmonella and meningococci. The strains on which the antibiotic is able to have a bactericidal effect include:
- aerobic gram-negative microorganisms;
- aerobic gram-positive pathogens;
- organisms showing resistance to amoxicillin and ampicillin;
- anaerobic gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria.
The advantage of the drug is that it can have a therapeutic effect on the vast majority of bacteria. By preventing the formation of cell membranes of microorganisms, cefuroxime exhibits its bactericidal effect.
The importance of a competent approach in treating a child
No matter how effective the drug may be, if it is improperly selected, it will be impossible to achieve the expected result with its help. Treatment of a child with an antibacterial agent should start after detecting the reaction of pathogens to the active substance of a particular drug. Parents should ensure that the bacteria susceptibility test to the main component of the Zinnat antibiotic is tested in a timely manner. For children, the instruction strongly recommends this because this approach can significantly reduce the duration of treatment therapy. Thus, the child will not be exposed to excessive amounts of medication, and the attending doctor will be able to prescribe the correct dosage based on the results of laboratory tests.
It is important to know that antibiotics do not kill the microorganisms that cause viral infections. You should not rush to purchase bactericides with chickenpox, flu, mononucleosis. However, in some cases, the doctor may prescribe Zinnat for children in order to avoid any complications.
Indications
For small patients, the drug is prescribed for bacterial infections that were caused by microorganisms susceptible to cefuroxime. Judging by the bactericidal properties and positive effects after using the Zinnat antibiotic for children according to reviews, it helps well with angina and pneumonia. The drug showed itself positively in the treatment of:
- chronic bronchitis and infectious lesions of the respiratory tract;
- lung diseases of an infectious nature and an abscess;
- diseases of the genitourinary organs;
- soft tissue lesions;
- pathologies of joints and bone tissues;
- sinusitis, tonsillitis, tonsillitis, pharyngitis;
- diseases of the auditory apparatus;
- infectious lesions in the chest due to surgery.
With the help of an antibiotic, preventive measures are taken to avoid complications during operations on the joints, chest and abdominal cavity.
Contraindications
What can result in the illiterate use of Zinnat for children, the instruction tells in sufficient detail. Before proceeding with the treatment of the baby, you need to carefully read the contraindications to this bactericidal drug. These include:
- allergy to drugs from the class of cephalosporins;
- pregnancy and breastfeeding;
- individual intolerance to the penicillin group.
- pathology of the digestive tract, bleeding;
- age up to three months.
Side effects
When using the drug, there is a likelihood of side effects from various body structures:
- Dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract: indigestion, nausea, vomiting, flatulence, abdominal pain, stomatitis.
- Allergies: urticaria, skin rash, burning sensation, bronchial spasms, Quincke's edema.
- Disruptions in the nervous system: dull hearing, headaches, increased drowsiness, cramps.
- In the genitourinary system: itching, thrush, vaginitis.
- Disorders in the organs of hematopoiesis: eosinophilia, leukopenia, anemia, hypoprothrombinemia.
Suspension
The suspension should not be considered as liquid syrup. These are different forms of medicine, they differ in manufacturing technology. Syrup is a concentrated solution containing several types of sugars. The substances included in the mixture include: glucose, maltose, sucrose and fructose.
A suspension is a solid substance from medicinal components that dissolves evenly in a liquid without forming individual particles. Medicines are available in the form of powder or granules. The bactericidal agent should be prepared so that no sediment is observed at the bottom of the container.
It is no coincidence that there are strict guidelines for pellet dilution given in the instructions. For children, “Zinnat” (suspension) is prepared in the following way: first you need to cool the boiled water and pour into a measuring cup to the set mark. Before pouring it into granules, the bottle to the contents should be properly shaken. The container with the medicine is tightly closed and shaken for a few more seconds until a homogeneous solution is formed.
The prepared suspension is given to the children in undiluted form, using a measuring spoon. You can mix it with a small volume of milk or add it to fruit juice. Dosage "Zinnat" for children is prescribed in accordance with age categories and body weight.
In most infections, a standard dose of the drug is prescribed, which is 10 mg / 1 kg - this is the norm for patients under 12 years of age. In severe conditions, the dose is increased to 15 mg. In all of the cases below, the antibiotic is given twice daily.
For children 3-6 months - ½ part of the measured capacity at one time (with an average weight of 5 kg).
Up to two years - ½ or 1 full spoon at a time (with an average weight of 11 kg).
Up to 12 years - a whole dosage spoon (with a weight of 12 to 21 kg).
For newborns and babies up to 3 months, the drug has not been clinically studied.
Pill dosage regimen
Based on the instructions for use, "Zinnat" for children in tablets is prescribed after three years of age. The therapeutic course is carried out in a two-time regimen of one unit with a dosage of 125 mg. If the infection affects the middle ear, or the disease takes on a complex form, the single rate is increased to 250 mg. The total daily dose should not exceed 500 mg.
The average duration of treatment should last a week. In particular, the doctor determines the duration of the course depending on the type of infection, the condition of the child and his age.
The tablet must be swallowed whole and washed down with water. It is necessary to accept during food intake or after it. The speed of their digestibility and what effect tablets will have on children will depend on this. The instructions to Zinnat explain this by the fact that when the drug is absorbed into the digestive tract, the active component is released from it, and digestion enhances this process. However, these recommendations should be observed with caution and in consultation with the pediatrician, as in some babies an overly saturated composition can cause side effects. Do not take medicine on an empty stomach.
Tablets are good for patients with diabetes, since there is sucrose in the suspension.
Suspension Recommendations
It should be remembered that the finished solution must be used within 10 days. After this period it must be disposed of. So that “Zinnat” (suspension) for children does not harm the baby, some precautions were established by doctors.
When preparing the solution, it is necessary to strictly follow all the methods indicated in the instructions. Strictly certain time it can be stored in the refrigerator.
You can not adjust the doses independently prescribed by the doctor, skip the drug, violate the established intervals between its use. An increase in dosage threatens to cause seizures.
You always need to complete the course of therapy. Incomplete treatment of the infection, especially when taking antibiotics, can adversely affect the health of the child.
Please note that symptoms such as nausea or vomiting may occur in children due to a negative attitude to bitter medicines. The child needs to be mentally prepared for the use of the suspension or diluted with juice. If the baby became involved in the treatment and the symptoms were short-term, then there is no reason for concern.
If during the treatment such negative manifestations as difficulty breathing, acute pain in the abdomen, lowering blood pressure or swelling occur, these may be signs of anaphylactic shock. In such a situation, you must immediately call an ambulance.
If the attending doctor decides to prescribe additional medications, it is necessary to listen to his recommendations. For example, along with antibiotics, drugs are often prescribed to restore the beneficial intestinal microflora. Such funds will only benefit your baby.
Shelf life of the packaged preparation is 3 years. In pharmacies dispensed without a doctor’s prescription.
Interaction with other medicines
It is not recommended to simultaneously take funds that lower the acidity of the stomach. They significantly reduce the bioavailability of cefuroxime and have a negative effect on its absorption.
Do not prescribe with diuretics (loop preparations), because these drugs suspend the normal excretion of the active substance through the kidneys. Because of this, the level of cefuroxime in the plasma rises.
If, along with an antibiotic, drugs related to the class of aminoglycosides are given, intoxication of the body can occur.
Analogs
With the help of Zinnat, treatment of small patients is successful, and if the pediatrician prescribed this remedy, it is necessary to use it. Use of analogues of this is necessary only in those cases when it did not fit. It can be such bactericidal agents as Cefuroxime, Zinaref, Aksetin, and Cefuros. All are available in powder form. There are identical drugs in the form of tablets. These include Zinoksimor, Aksosef and Tsetil Lupine.
Reviews on the use of the drug
Taking into account the opinion of many parents, we can conclude that the bactericidal drug gives positive results. Side effects are rarely mentioned, which is important in the treatment of babies. Many mothers praise a suspension for children in their reviews. “Zinnat” of this dosage form has a minus - it is bitter, most babies do not want to drink it. Parents who managed to help their child drink the medicine were satisfied - it copes well with otitis media and bronchitis, and also quickly lowers body temperature.
Instead of a conclusion
To stop diseases of an infectious nature in babies, effective remedies are required. In the field of pediatrics for the treatment of children, the Zinnat antibiotic has been used for a long time, since it has become one of the highly effective drugs. It is worth noting that, unlike other bactericidal drugs that cause diarrhea, constipation and other unpleasant side effects, this medicine is fairly well tolerated.