On this page
Therapeutic action
- Short-acting penicillin antibacterial
Indications
- Diphtheria, neurosyphilis
- Congenital syphilis (presence of clinical signs in the neonate and lack of adequate treatment in the mother)
Forms and strengths, route of administration
- Powder for injection in vials of:
- 1 MIU (600 mg), to be dissolved in 2 ml of water for injection or 0.9% sodium chloride
- 5 MIU (3 g), to be dissolved in 5 ml of water for injection or 0.9% sodium chloride
- For IM injection or slow IV injection through an infusion tube (3 to 5 minutes) or infusion (60 minutes) in 0.9% sodium chloride or 5% glucose.
Dosage
Diphtheria
- Child: 50 000 IU (30 mg)/kg every 6 hours (max. 4 MIU or 2.4 g daily)
- Adult: 1 MIU (600 mg) every 6 hours
Neurosyphilis
- Adult: 2 to 4 MIU (1.2 to 2.4 g) by IV injection every 4 hours
Congenital syphilis
- 50 000 IU (30 mg)/kg by IV injection every 12 hours from D1 to D7, then
- 50 000 IU (30 mg)/kg by IV injection every 8 hours from D8 to D10
Duration
- Diphtheria, neurosyphilis: 14 days
- Congenital syphilis: 10 days
For diphtheria, change to oral route as soon as possible.
Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions
- Do not administer to penicillin-allergic patients.
- Administer with caution to patients allergic to cephalosporins (cross-sensitivity may occur) and renal impairment (reduce dosage in patients with neurosyphilis).
- May cause:
- gastroinstestinal disturbances, pain at injection site, anaemia, allergic reactions sometimes severe;
- Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction (fever, chills, myalgia, tachycardia) in patients with syphilis;
- convulsions in the event of rapid IV injection, high dosages or renal impairment.
- Do not combine with methotrexate.
- Pregnancy: no contra-indication
- Breast-feeding: no contra-indication
Remarks
- Do not confuse short-acting benzylpenicillin, administered several times a day by IV route, with long-acting penicillins (benzathine benzylpenicillin and procaine benzylpenicillin) administered by IM route only.
- Do not mix with other drugs in the same syringe or infusion.
Storage
–
– Below 25 °C
Once reconstituted, suspension must be used immediately.
Once reconstituted, suspension must be used immediately.