High-dose Antibiotic Regimens
Antimicrobial prescribing: NHS Fife
Some infections require higher-dose antibiotic regimens. This may be because of how antibiotics reach the affected site, or because the pathogen present requires a higher concentration of antibiotic to effectively treat it.
When advised to use a high-dose or increased-dose regimen, please use the following table. Note that these doses are for normal renal and hepatic function and you may need to adjust accordingly.
| Antibiotic | Dose |
| Amoxicillin IV | 2g every 4 hours |
| Amoxicillin PO | 1g every 8 hours |
| Benzylpenicillin IV | 1.2g every 4 hours |
| Benzylpenicillin IV (meningitis) |
Pneumococcal meningitis (Microbiology advice only) 2.4g every 4 hours |
| Cefalexin PO | 1g every 8 hours |
| Cefotaxime IV | 2g every 8 hours |
| Ceftazidime IV | 2g every 8 hours |
| Ceftriaxone IV |
2g every 12 hours OR 4g every 24 hours (meningitis and S. aureus – high dose only) |
| Cefuroxime IV | 1.5g every 8 hours |
| Ciprofloxacin IV | 400mg every 8 hours |
| Ciprofloxacin PO | 750mg every 12 hours |
| Co-amoxiclav IV |
1.2g every 8 hours PLUS Amoxicillin 1g every 8 hours |
| Co-amoxiclav PO |
625mg every 8 hours PLUS Amoxicillin 500mg every 8 hours |
| Cotrimoxazole PO or IV | 1.44g every 12 hours |
| Flucloxacillin IV | 2g every 4 hours |
| Levofloxacin PO or IV | 500mg every 12 hours |
| Meropenem IV | 2g every 8 hours |
| Piperacillin-tazobactam IV | 4.5g every 6 hours |
| Temocillin IV | 2g every 8 hours |