DOSAGE & ADMINISTRATION

(seeINDICATIONS AND USAGEfor Indicated Pathogens)
The recommended dosage and duration of treatment for infections in adults and adolescents are described in the following chart; the total daily dose for all infections is 600 mg. Once-daily dosing for 10 days is as effective as b.i.d. dosing. Once-daily dosing has not been studied in pneumonia or skin infections; therefore, cefdinir capsules should be administered twice daily in these infections. Cefdinir capsules may be taken without regard to meals.
Adults and Adolescents (Age 13 Years and Older)

Type of Infection	Dosage	Duration
Community-Acquired Pneumonia	300 mg q12h	10 days
Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Bronchitis	300 mg q12h or 600 mg q24h	5 to 10 days 10 days
Acute Maxillary Sinusitis	300 mg q12h or 600 mg q24h	10 days 10 days
Pharyngitis/Tonsillitis	300 mg q12h or 600 mg q24h	5 to 10 days 10 days
Uncomplicated Skin and Skin Structure Infections	300 mg q12h	10 days

Patients with Renal Insufficiency
****For adult patients with creatinine clearance < 30 mL/min, the dose of cefdinir should be 300 mg given once daily.
Creatinine clearance is difficult to measure in outpatients. However, the following formula may be used to estimate creatinine clearance (CL cr) in adult patients. For estimates to be valid, serum creatinine levels should reflect steady-state levels of renal function.

Males:	CL cr=	(weight) (140 – age)
(72) (serum creatinine)
Females:	CL cr=	0 .8 5 x above value
where creatinine clearance is in mL/min, age is in years, weight is in kilograms, and serum creatinine is in mg/dL. 1

The following formula may be used to estimate creatinine clearance in pediatric patients:

CL cr= K x	body length or height
serum creatinine
where K=0.55 for pediatric patients older than 1 year 2and 0.45 for infants (up to 1 year). 3

In the above equation, creatinine clearance is in mL/min/1.73 m 2, body length or height is in centimeters, and serum creatinine is in mg/dL.

For pediatric patients with a creatinine clearance of < 30 mL/min/1.73 m 2, the dose of cefdinir should be 7 mg/kg (up to 300 mg) given once daily.
Patients on Hemodialysis
****Hemodialysis removes cefdinir from the body. In patients maintained on chronic hemodialysis, the recommended initial dosage regimen is a 300 mg or 7 mg/kg dose every other day. At the conclusion of each hemodialysis session, 300 mg (or 7 mg/kg) should be given. Subsequent doses (300 mg or 7 mg/kg) are then administered every other day.