Praziquantel
Administration
- Type: Antiparasitic, anthelmintic
- Dosage Forms: 600
- Routes of Administration: Oral
- Common Trade Names: Biltricide
Adult Dosing
- Schistosomiasis: 20mg/kg PO tid x1 day
- Separate doses by 4-6h
- Give with food
- Do not crush/chew
- Liver flukes: 25mg/kg PO tid x1 day
- Separate doses by 4-6h
- Cysticercosis: 50mg/kg/day PO divided q8h x14 days
- Off label use
- Tapeworms: 5-25mg/kg PO x1
- Off label use
Pediatric Dosing
Only for children> 4 y/o
- Schistosomiasis: 20mg/kg PO bid-tid x1 day
- Liver flukes: 25mg/kg PO tid x1-2 days
- Cysticercosis: 50mg/kg/day PO divided q8h x14 days
- Off label use
- Tape worms: 5-25mg/kg PO x1
- Off label use
Special Populations
- Pregnancy Risk Factor B
Renal Dosing
- No renal dosing defined
Hepatic Dosing
- Caution advised with Child-Pugh Class B or C
Contraindications
- Allergy to class/drug
- ocular schistosomiasis
- ocular cysticercosis
- CNS lesions
- seizure history
Adverse Reactions
Serious
- Generalized hypersensitivity reaction
- polyserositis
- arrhythmias
- bradycardia
- ventricular fibrillation
- AV block
- diarrhea, bloody
- seizures
- Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction
Common
- malaise
- headache
- dizziness
- abdominal pain/nausea and vomiting
Pharmacology
- Half-life: 1-1.5hr
- Metabolism: CYP450
- Excretion: Urine
Mechanism of Action
- Increases cell membrane permeability
Comments
See Also
References
<Epocrates, UpToDate>