Ampicillin and Sulbactam for Injection may be administered by either the IV or the IM routes.
For IV administration, the dose can be given by slow intravenous injection over at least 10 to 15 minutes or can also be delivered in greater dilutions with 50 to 100 mL of a compatible diluent as an intravenous infusion over 15 to 30 minutes.
Ampicillin and Sulbactam for Injection may be administered by deep intramuscular injection (see DIRECTIONS FOR USE-Preparation for Intramuscular Injection section).
The recommended adult dosage of ampicillin and sulbactam for injection is 1.5 g (1 g ampicillin as the sodium salt plus 0.5 g sulbactam as the sodium salt) to 3 g (2 g ampicillin as the sodium salt plus 1 g sulbactam as the sodium salt) every six hours. This 1.5 to 3 g range represents the total of ampicillin content plus the sulbactam content of ampicillin and sulbactam for injection, and corresponds to a range of 1 g ampicillin/0.5 g sulbactam to 2 g ampicillin/1 g sulbactam. The total dose of sulbactam should not exceed 4 grams per day.
Pediatric Patients 1 Year of Age or Older: The recommended daily dose of ampicillin and sulbactam for injection in pediatric patients is 300 mg per kg of body weight administered via intravenous infusion in equally divided doses every 6 hours. This 300 mg/kg/day dosage represents the total ampicillin content plus the sulbactam content of ampicillin and sulbactam for injection, and corresponds to 200 mg ampicillin/100 mg sulbactam per kg per day. The safety and efficacy of ampicillin and sulbactam for injection administered via intramuscular injection in pediatric patients have not been established. Pediatric patients weighing 40 kg or more should be dosed according to adult recommendations, and the total dose of sulbactam should not exceed 4 grams per day. The course of intravenous therapy should not routinely exceed 14 days. In clinical trials, most children received a course of oral antimicrobials following initial treatment with intravenous ampicillin and sulbactam for injection. (see CLINICAL STUDIES section).
Impaired Renal Function
In patients with impairment of renal function the elimination kinetics of ampicillin and sulbactam are similarly affected, hence the ratio of one to the other will remain constant whatever the renal function. The dose of ampicillin and sulbactam in such patients should be administered less frequently in accordance with the usual practice for ampicillin and according to the following recommendations:
Table 5
Ampicillin and Sulbactam for Injection Dosage Guide for Patients
with Renal Impairment
Creatinine Clearance
(mL/min/1.73 m2)
Ampicillin/Sulbactam
Half-Life (Hours)
Recommended
Ampicillin and Sulbactam Dosage
≥30
1
1.5 g to 3 g q 6h - q 8h
15 to 29
5
1.5 g to 3 g q 12h
5 to 14
9
1.5 g to h3 g q 24h
When only serum creatinine is available, the following formula (based on sex, weight, and age of the patient) may be used to convert this value into creatinine clearance. The serum creatinine should represent a steady state of renal function.
Males weight (kg) × (140 – age)
72 × serum creatinine
Females 0.85 × above value