How to dilute Dimexide for a compress for a child?

One common drug used to treat pain and inflammation is called dimexide. It’s critical to understand how to safely dilute it when administering treatment to children. To be effective without irritating or hurting the child’s sensitive skin, the solution’s concentration must be precisely right.

Parents who know how to properly prepare a Dimexide compress at home can help treat minor wounds or inflammations. To make sure your child is safe and comfortable, you must mix the solution according to the correct procedures.

Form and composition

There are two dosage forms for the medication: liquid and gel. For compresses, liquid "Dimexide," a concentrated 99% solution of dimethyl sulfoxide, is utilized. It is colorless, transparent, and comes in glass 50 and 100 ml bottles that are sold in pharmacies. It also has a distinct smell. It needs to be diluted and is only meant for external use.

How it works?

"Dimexide" has an anti-inflammatory effect at the application site that affects metabolic processes and free radicals. The medication also has antibacterial and analgesic properties. Local anesthetic effects are produced by "Dimexide" treatment, and dimethyl sulfoxide increases the permeability of skin and mucous membranes for other drugs after being absorbed into them.

The reason the solution works on microbes is because it can get past their cell membranes and make the pathogen more susceptible to antibacterial medications, which is why it’s frequently used in conjunction with antibiotics. Additionally, dimexide has been shown to have mild disinfectant and fibrinolytic properties.

To guarantee safety and efficacy when using Dimexide as a compress on a child, it must be diluted appropriately. To accomplish this, mix 1 part dimexide to 4 parts water, which is the recommended ratio. However, always follow your healthcare provider’s specific instructions. This dilution helps keep your child safe while preventing skin irritation and ensuring that the compress delivers the desired relief as intended.

From what age can it be used?

In contrast to the gel, which is only allowed for use by individuals who are 12 years old, patients of any age may use liquid Dimexide provided a doctor prescribes it. Making compresses for a child younger than twelve without first obtaining medical advice is unacceptable.

When it is prescribed?

Most often, Dimexide is used as one of the means of complex treatment of various diseases of the musculoskeletal system and skin. The drug is prescribed for acne, erysipelas, eczema, furunculosis, panaritium, burns, purulent wounds and other skin lesions. Treatment with "Dimexide" is also prescribed for sprains, bruises, arthritis, radiculitis, keloid scars, fistulas and many other problems. Children are often prescribed the drug after injections or vaccinations if a painful infiltrate appears at the injection site. Compresses are also used for coughs if the cause is an inflammatory process in the bronchi – with bronchitis or pneumonia. For sore throat, pharyngitis or tonsillitis, compresses with "Dimexide" are made on the throat. In some cases, inhalations and electrophoresis are prescribed. The drug can also be applied to inflamed lymph nodes – for example, to the submandibular lymph node for sore throat or to the axillary after vaccination. However, such use of the drug must be supervised by a doctor.

Additionally, "Dimexide" can be prescribed by an ENT specialist for nasal conditions like sinusitis, adenoiditis, or prolonged runny nose. This drug is also used to treat otitis media, which is treated by inserting turundas dipped in a solution into the ears for thirty to forty minutes. In this instance, the medication is diluted to a 10% concentration for application to the nose or ears.

Contraindications

1. In case of intolerance to dimethyl sulfoxide.
2. In case of severe diseases of the kidneys, heart or liver, which have led to insufficiency of the function of these organs.
3. In case of cataracts or glaucoma.

Moreover, body temperature should not be raised while using compressors because of the warming effect.

Side effects

The use of dimexide may occasionally result in an allergic reaction that causes skin irritation and itching. Treatment should be discontinued in this case, and clean water should be used to wash the skin. Furthermore, children treated with such drugs may report mild burning sensations and excessively dry or reddened skin after the compress. Sometimes the medication results in bronchospasm.

Instructions for use

• When preparing to make a compress for a child, be sure to check whether the little patient has an intolerance to the medicine. For such a test, it is enough to moisten a cotton swab with a diluted solution and apply the product to a small area of ​​​​skin. If after a few hours it turns red or the child starts complaining of severe itching, compresses are contraindicated.
• Before using "Dimexide" it is necessary to dilute it, to prevent burns. Saline solution or regular boiled water is most often used for dilution. Other recipes can be used as prescribed by the doctor – for example, "Dimexide" is mixed with "Eufillin" and "Magnesia" is added.
• Before the procedure, the medication should be slightly warmed up. A water bath is often used for this purpose.
• The concentration of the diluted solution depends on the disease, it is determined by the doctor (individually in each case). For pain, a 25-50% solution is used, and for skin infections – 30-50%. If it is necessary to treat the skin of the face, the concentration is reduced to 10-30%. For cough compresses, it is most often recommended to dilute the medicine in a ratio of 1:4, but on the recommendation of a doctor, a dilution of 1:3 or 1:5 is possible.
• To make a compress, you need to soak gauze napkins in a warm diluted solution and place them on the affected area (in case of coughing – on the chest, avoiding the heart area). Take 6-8 of these napkins for one procedure. Cover them with polyethylene and linen or cotton fabric on top.

• Recommended frequency of procedures – twice a day. Duration is usually 20-30 minutes, but the doctor may prescribe a shorter application (depending on the age of the patient). To treat a cough, gauze with "Dimexide" should be kept for up to 40-60 minutes.
• If during the procedure the child begins to sweat heavily, turned pale or his breathing quickened, you should immediately stop treatment.
• After removing the gauze, the skin at the site of the compress should be wiped with a wet clean cloth, so that no medicine remains on the body.
• The time of the procedure may vary, but in case of coughing it is best to do a compress at night. At the same time, leaving the medication all night is strictly contraindicated, since this increases the risk of burns and the harmful effects of the drug on the health of a small patient.
• For skin and musculoskeletal diseases, the medication is prescribed for 10-15 days, and the duration of treatment for bronchitis and other lung diseases is determined by the child"s condition. As soon as it has improved, the manifestations of cough have decreased, the procedures are stopped. Often 3-4 applications are enough, and longer use of the drug should be approved by a pediatrician.

Overdose

The appearance of a burn, which will show up as redness and itching of the treated skin, is threatened if you use a more concentrated solution against the advice of your doctor. It should be kept in mind that dimexide is not ingested. The drug will adversely affect the digestive system if you inadvertently swallow even a tiny amount of it. It will result in loose stools, vomiting, and other poisoning symptoms.

Drug interactions

Since dimexide does not obstruct the effects of antibiotics or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, these medications are frequently prescribed together. Conversely, when combined with other medications such as aminoglycosides, rifampicin, chloramphenicol, penicillins, and others, their antimicrobial effect is increased because bacteria that are under the influence of "Dimexide" are more susceptible to these medications.

Furthermore, the medication increases the absorption of numerous other medications, thereby amplifying their toxic as well as therapeutic effects. This is the reason why a doctor has to oversee the prescription of multiple medications.

Purchase and storage

In order to obtain "Dimexide" from a pharmacy, a prescription from your physician is required. A bottle of the medication typically costs between 40 and 50 rubles. A bottle of concentrate can be stored at home for its full two-year shelf life as long as it is kept dry and at a temperature no higher than 25 degrees Celsius. Keep the medication safely out of the reach of young children. The drug that has been diluted is not kept in storage.

It’s important to use caution when applying and concentrating Dimexide as a compress on children to prevent any possible negative effects. As a general rule, dilute the solution one part dimexide to four parts water, but this can change based on the age of the child and the condition being treated.

It is imperative that you speak with a healthcare provider before using it to make sure your child is safe. Keep a close eye out for any indications of irritation or allergic reaction on the skin both during and after application.

You can use dimexide compresses to help your child safely if you dilute them properly and apply them carefully. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get medical advice.

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