Eye drops “Levomycetin” for children

Children frequently get eye infections, so it’s critical to find the best course of action for both their comfort and well-being. Doctors frequently prescribe "levomycetin" eye drops to treat bacterial infections in children’s eyes.

When it comes to their small children, parents may be wary of using medications. Making an informed choice about the use of "Levomycetin" can be aided by having a thorough understanding of its advantages, potential drawbacks, and mode of action.

This article will discuss when and how to use "Levomycetin" eye drops for children, as well as some crucial safety advice.

Release form

When levomycetin is administered as eye drops, it is a colorless, transparent liquid that is sealed in a glass or polyethylene dropper bottle and fitted with a dropper cap. The medication comes in 5 or 10 ml bottles.

Besides eye drops. Additionally, levomycetin is made in the following ways:

• tablets;
• capsules;
• coated tablets;
• alcohol solution for external use.

There are no ointment, injection ampoules, gel, suspension, or other forms of this medication available.

Composition

2.5 mg of chloramphenicol, the drug’s active ingredient, is contained in 1 milliliter of drops. The solution also includes boric acid and purified water in addition to it. This medication contains no additional ingredients.

Principle of action

One bacteriostatic antibiotic that can interfere with microbial cells’ ability to synthesize proteins is levomycetin. Its active ingredient readily penetrates bacterial cell membranes due to its fat-soluble nature, whereupon it attaches itself to ribosomes. This causes an amino acid transport delay, which prevents the formation of proteins and peptide chains from growing.

Drops have a broad range of antimicrobial activity. The medication works against a variety of microorganisms, including Moraxella, pneumococcus, gonococcus, streptococcus, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. It works on a variety of strains that are resistant to penicillins, tetracyclines, and sulfa medications.

Levomycetin, like other antibiotics, is not effective against rotavirus when taken as tablets. It is also ineffective against viral eye infections.

Indications

When bacteria that are susceptible to chloramphenicol cause eye infections, levomycetin drops are used as a treatment.

Children are prescribed this medication:

• with conjunctivitis;
• with blepharitis;
• with dacryocystitis;
• with blepharoconjunctivitis;
• with keratitis;
• with keratoconjunctivitis;
• with barley;.
• with neuroparalytic keratitis complicated by bacterial infection.

From what age is it used in children?

Levomycetin eye drops have no age restrictions. On the other hand, the medication’s instructions state that newborns should use it very carefully. Giving such an antibiotic to young children without medical supervision is unacceptable. Furthermore, it is not advisable to use Levomycetin on a child who is three years old or older without first having an ophthalmologist or pediatrician examine them.

Contraindications

It is not allowed to drip the drug in the following situations:

• Hypersensitivity to chloramphenicol or boric acid.
• Liver failure.
• Lack of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase.
• Acute intermittent porphyria.
• Renal failure.
• Suppression of hematopoiesis in the bone marrow.

Levomycetin should be administered cautiously to small patients who have any type of skin condition, such as psoriasis, eczema, or fungal infections.

Side effects

After using the drops, some kids get a local allergic reaction. Severe lacrimation, itchiness in the eyes, redness, a burning feeling, a skin rash, and other symptoms are possible manifestations. Treatment with drops should be discontinued right away if they appear.

Extended use of Levomycetin therapy may impact hematopoiesis and cause thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, erythrocytopenia, and ultimately lead to the development of aplastic anemia.

The medication may cause granulocyte counts to drop in order to accomplish agranulocytosis. Occasionally, a secondary fungal infection also appears.

Instructions for use

• After laying the child down or sitting the baby and throwing his head back, gently pull the lower eyelid down and, turning the bottle over, place it over the eye. Then drip the medicine into each eye one drop at a time, pressing on the dropper nozzle, but not allowing the tip of such a nozzle to touch the body. In some cases, a single dose of Levomycetin will be not one, but two drops.
• Even if a small patient has an infectious lesion of only one eye, both eyes should always be dripped. This will prevent the spread of bacteria.
• The frequency of administration of the solution into the conjunctival sac should be determined by the doctor. There may be an interval of one to four hours between instillations.
• The duration of treatment with drops is also determined individually. If the medication is prescribed for a long course, then blood tests should be done regularly to prevent damage to the bone marrow.

Overdose

The adverse consequences of exceeding the dosage of drops are not disclosed by the manufacturer.

Interaction with other drugs

Levomycetin therapy can exacerbate the adverse effects of medications that impair hematopoiesis or impede hepatic metabolism. Drops are therefore not used in conjunction with sulfonamides, indirect anticoagulants, hypoglycemic oral medications, or cytostatic medications.

The effects of erythromycin, clindamycin, or lincomycin-containing antibiotics will be lessened if the medication is prescribed along with them.

Furthermore, penicillin and cephalosporin antibiotics’ therapeutic effects can be lessened by chloramphenicol.

Levomycetin eye drops are frequently used to treat conjunctivitis and other bacterial eye infections in children. Even though they work well, you should only use antibiotics under a doctor’s supervision because incorrect or excessive use can cause side effects or antibiotic resistance. To guarantee their child receives safe treatment and recovers quickly, parents should closely monitor the dosage and instructions provided.

Terms of sale

You need a prescription from an ophthalmologist, pediatrician, or other specialist before you can buy Levomycetin eye drops at a pharmacy. A bottle of drops costs, on average, 12–15 rubles.

Storage conditions

Keep the medication out of direct sunlight and extremely humid environments to preserve its active ingredients. It is generally accepted that temperatures lower than +25 degrees Celsius are ideal for storage. Small children should not be able to access the area where the drops will be kept.

Drops that have not been opened have a two-year shelf life. Only 30 days after the initial dose of the medication can the contents of the bottle be injected into the eyes.

The bottle should be thrown away if the solution is still inside after more than a month of opening. Dripping expired medication into one’s eyes is not acceptable.

Reviews

Reviews of levomycetin use for pediatric eye infections are overwhelmingly positive. They commend the medication for its affordable price and potent effects. Mothers say it’s very easy to use these drops. Still, a lot of parents lament that their children’s eyes sting slightly from the medication, and a bottle that has been opened is rarely kept for long. Furthermore, some kids have allergies to these kinds of antibiotics.

It’s critical to carefully follow the directions provided by the doctor when administering "Levomycetin" eye drops to children. Although bacterial infections can be effectively treated with these drops, they should only be used under a doctor’s supervision.

Never exceed the recommended duration of treatment, and make sure that the prescribed dosage is always followed. As soon as you notice any side effects or allergic reactions, speak with your pediatrician.

The best outcome for your child’s eye health can be achieved by maintaining an open line of communication with their physician. Reliability in medication use is essential for both a quick recovery and continued general health.

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