A sufficient activated charcoal dose is affected by the age of the patient, the weight of patients under 13 years of age, the patient’s response to the treatment, and the number of doses that are to be given. For ordinary usage in adults and children aged 13 or over, between 25 and 100 grams (g) of the medicine should be given, regardless of whether the drug is being administered as a powder or in pill form. Children under the age of 13 should be given a dosage of between 25 and 50 g, and children under one year of age only need between 10 and 25 g of the treatment. If the drug is going to be administered over several doses, adults should be given an initial dose of between 50 and 100 g, and then 12.5 g per hour after that.
The main factor which can affect the sufficient activated charcoal dose is the patient’s response to the treatment. Each dosage of the drug is listed as a range, such as between 25 and 100 g for adults and children aged 13 or over. Some patients may require a larger dosage than others for the treatment to have an effect. The possible variation between dosages is very high, and this should only be decided by a doctor. A patient who does not respond to the treatment could be given four times as much as another patient to achieve the same effect.
Another big factor in the recommended activated charcoal dose is the age of the patient being treated. Children over the age of 13 are considered in the same category as adults and should be given between 25 and 100 g of the treatment. Those under the age of 13 require a slightly smaller dosage, between 25 and 50 g. Infants less than one year of age should only receive a dose of between 10 and 25 g of the treatment. The activated charcoal dose for children can also be based on body weight.
Basing the amount of a drug to be administered on weight is a more accurate method of determining the correct dosage. The required activated charcoal dose for children under the age of 13 should be between 0.5 and 1 gram per kilogram (g per kg) in weight. If the patient is being treated with multiple doses, they can be given between 1 to 2 g per kg every two to four hours.
Sometimes, patients are given multiple doses of activated charcoal instead of just one. This affects the recommended activated charcoal dose. In adults, the first dose should be between 50 and 100 grams. After the initial dose, the remaining doses can be administered at different intervals. Generally, 12.5 g of the treatment can be given per hour, meaning 25 g doses can be given every two hours or 50g doses every four hours.