TABLE 3.

Recommended antibiotic treatment for children with pneumonia¹¹

Drug	Dose	Frequency (× daily)	Duration (days)
Oral treatments: Non severe pneumonia
Amoxicillin	15 mg/ kg	3	5
Cotrimoxazole	4mg/ kg trimethoprim 20 mg/ kg sulfamethoxazole	2	5
Short course regime
Amoxicillin	25 mg/ kg	2	3
Cotrimoxazole	4mg/ kg trimethoprim 20 mg/kg sulfamethoxazole	2	3
Intravenous treatments: severe pneumonia
Benzyl penicillin	50 000 units/ kg	4	Until child improves*
Intravenous treatments: Very severe pneumonia
Chloramphenicol	25 mg/kg	3	Until child improves†
Benzyl penicillin plus gentamicin	50 000 units/ kg (benzyl penicillin); 7.5 ml/ kg (gentamicin)	4 (penicillin) 1 (gentamicin)	10

^*Then switch to oral amoxicillin for 5 days

^†Then continue orally 3 times a day for a total course of 10 days