Paediatric Drug Dose Calculator Nigeria · Kenya · Ghana
Weight-based dosing for 20 common paediatric drugs. Country-specific protocols. Offline-capable. Every value source-cited.
🔬 20 Drugs📍 3 Countries✈️ Works Offline📋 BNF for Children 2024
For qualified healthcare professionals only. All doses verified against BNF for Children 2024 and WHO guidelines. Clinical judgment must always apply. Verify against your institution's protocols and current national treatment guidelines. Not a substitute for specialist advice.
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Clinically reviewed by
Dr. Emeka Eze, FWACP (Paeds)
Paediatric Emergency Physician, Lagos University Teaching Hospital
Paediatric drug dosing must account for weight, age, organ maturity, and the formulation and concentration available locally — all of which vary significantly across Nigerian, Kenyan and Ghanaian clinical settings. Errors in paediatric dosing are among the most common preventable drug errors globally, with studies from Nigerian tertiary hospitals reporting prescribing error rates of 8–30% on paediatric wards. This calculator covers the essential medicines most frequently prescribed in paediatric outpatient departments, emergency units, and general wards across sub-Saharan Africa, with doses aligned to WHO Model Formulary for Children and the BNFc 2024.
Standard infection: 25 mg/kg/day in 3 divided doses (every 8 hours), max 500 mg/dose. High-dose for pneumonia or AOM: 40–45 mg/kg/day in 2 divided doses. Severe pneumonia requiring IV: ampicillin 50 mg/kg/dose every 6 hours IV. Maximum daily dose: 3g/day. Give with or without food.
Oral/rectal paracetamol: 15 mg/kg/dose every 4–6 hours, maximum 4 doses per 24 hours. Do not exceed 75 mg/kg/day or 4g/day in children ≥40 kg. Avoid in severe hepatic impairment or severe malnutrition. For neonates, use 10–15 mg/kg every 6–8 hours — lower frequency due to slower clearance.
Ibuprofen is effective and widely used in sub-Saharan Africa. Dose: 5–10 mg/kg every 6–8 hours with food, maximum 40 mg/kg/day. Avoid in children under 3 months, dehydration, suspected dengue, renal impairment, active gastric bleeding, or severe malaria with haemolysis risk. Ibuprofen is not recommended in children with sickle cell disease during crisis.
The maximum paracetamol dose is 15 mg/kg per dose, up to 4 doses in 24 hours, with a maximum of 60 mg/kg/day. In neonates under 32 weeks gestation, reduce to 7.5 mg/kg/dose 8-hourly. Paracetamol toxicity causes acute liver failure through hepatic glutathione depletion — the antidote is N-acetylcysteine IV. Toxicity risk is increased in children with malnutrition, liver disease, or prolonged fasting. Never give paracetamol suppositories and oral paracetamol simultaneously — double dosing is a common cause of accidental overdose in African paediatric wards.
SAM causes profound pharmacokinetic changes: reduced albumin binding, impaired hepatic metabolism, reduced renal clearance, and altered body composition with reduced muscle mass but relatively preserved fat stores. Standard weight-based dosing may overdose drugs with narrow therapeutic indices. Use actual body weight (not ideal body weight) for most drugs. Avoid nephrotoxic drugs where possible. Use half the standard dose of aminoglycosides in SAM with oedema. Avoid metronidazole in severe SAM. Antibiotic absorption is impaired — IV routes are preferred in severe SAM with complications.
To assess whether a child on treatment needs escalation of care, use the PEWS Score Calculator.
📋 Guideline basis: BNFc 2024 · WHO Pocket Book 2013 · FMOH Nigeria · Last reviewed: January 2025 · Next review due: January 2026 · Disclaimer · Report an error
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