Tetracycline

General

Adult Dosing

  • 500mg PO q6-12hr

Pediatric Dosing

  • >8yo: 25-50 mg/kg/day PO divided q6hr; not to exceed 3 g/day

Special Populations

  • Pregnancy: Category D
  • Lactation: Short term use acceptable
  • Renal Dosing: reduce dose
  • Hepatic Dosing: contraindicated in severe impairment


Contraindications

  • Allergy to class/drug
  • Severe hepatic dysfunction
  • Pregnancy 2nd and 3rd trimesters

Adverse Reactions

Serious

  • Calcium Deposits in Teeth and Bones
    • causes tetracycline to be contraindicated in pediatrics
  • Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus
  • Esophageal ulceration
  • Hepatic toxicity, liver failure
  • Angioedema
  • Anyphilaxis
  • Pericarditis

Common

  • Photosensitivity
  • Pseudo Tumor Cerebri
  • Myopia
  • Nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, esophagitis, black hairy tongue, dysphagia
  • Rash, onycholysis
  • Elevated BUN
  • Serum sickness-like reaction
  • Hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, eosinophilia

Pharmacology

  • Half-life: 8-11hr
  • Metabolism:
  • Excretion: Urine
  • Mechanism of Action: Inhibits bacterial protein synthesis by binding with 30S and possibly 50S ribosomal subunit

See Also

References