Acetylcystine

Dosage

PO Mucolytic 200 mg 3 times/day. Paracetamol poisoning Initial: 140 mg/kg, then 70 mg/kg 4 hrly for
another 17 doses. IV Paracetamol poisoning 150 mg/kg over 15 mins, then 50 mg/kg over the next 4 hr,
then 100 mg/kg over the next 16 hr. Ophth Dry eye As 5% soln: Instill 1-2 drops 3-4 times/day.
Inhalation Mucolytic As 20% soln: Nebulise 3-5 mL 3-4 times/day. Up to 1-10 mL 2-6 hrly if needed.
Endotracheal Mucolytic As 10-20% soln: Instill 1-2 mL as often as hrly.

Special Precautions
Asthmatic patients, history of bronchospasm, peptic ulceration. Pregnancy, lactation.

Adverse Drug Reactions

Flushing, fever, stomatitis, nausea, vomiting, rhinorrhoea, bronchospasm, anaphylactoid
reactions, rashes. Rarely, blurred vision, bradycardia, syncope, thrombocytopenia, convulsions.
Potentially Fatal: Rarely, respiratory or cardiac arrest.

Category B: Either animal-reproduction studies have not demonstrated a foetal risk but there are
no controlled studies in pregnant women or animal-reproduction studies have shown an adverse
effect (other than a decrease in fertility) that was not confirmed in controlled studies in women in
the 1st trimester (and there is no evidence of a risk in later trimesters).

Levofloxacin hemihydrate
Indications
Treatment of susceptible infections caused by gram+ve & -ve organisms.
Dosage
Usual dose: 250 or 500 mg once-bid.
Contraindications
Hypersensitivity to quinolones. Childn, adolescents. Pregnancy & lactation. MRSA infections.
Special Precautions
Patients w/ epilepsy or a history of CNS disorders. Hepatic & renal impairment, G6PD
deficiency or myasthenia gravis.
Adverse Drug Reactions
GI disturbances eg nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, dyspepsia, pseudomembranous
colitis. Headache, dizziness & restlessness.
Pregnancy Category (US FDA)
Contraindicated in 1st trimester.

Category C: Either studies in animals have revealed adverse effects on the foetus (teratogenic or
embryocidal or other) and there are no controlled studies in women or studies in women and
animals are not available. Drugs should be given only if the potential benefit justifies the
potential risk to the foetus.