An appropriate flucloxacillin dose can depend on why the patient needs the medication along with certain factors that may be present in a patient’s medical history. This antibiotic drug can be used to treat a range of infections and may be recommended as a prophylactic to prevent infection after major surgery in some cases. To calculate a dose, a medical professional will take a patient history, consider the situation, and determine what would be effective. This includes both the amount of medication as well as the length of treatment to make sure the medication has time to work.
One issue is the type of infection. It may be necessary to take a culture to find out which organisms are present. This can confirm that they will be susceptible to flucloxacillin, and to determine what the dose should be. If it is being prescribed as a prophylactic, the care provider may follow general guidelines on the preventative use of antibiotics. These are designed to reduce the risk of infection while addressing concerns about the cultivation of antibiotic resistance.
Another factor can be liver or kidney impairment. A regular flucloxacillin dose may be too high for a patient with a history of these issues. Patients taking the drug for an extended period of time may require monitoring to confirm that their internal organs are not being injured by the medication. Other medications that decreases in liver or kidney function could potentially conflict with a flucloxacillin dose.
There are also some contraindications for a flucloxacillin dose of any size. People with a history of reactions to beta lactam antibiotics and drugs in the penicillin family shouldn’t take this medication because they could become ill. If a patient develops a rash, difficulty breathing, or other signs of a severe allergy while on the drug, these are indicators of a problem. It may be necessary to stop taking the drug and to note it in the chart so it won’t be recommended again.
Some anticoagulant medications can react adversely with a flucloxacillin dose, as can other antibiotics. If the benefit of the combination therapy would outweigh the risk, a medical provider may continue with the course of therapy. In other cases it may be necessary to switch medications, or temporarily stop medications. Patients who notice signs of bad reactions can report them and may need a medical appointment to determine the origin of the reaction and decide on how to respond.