Putting the priorities first: medicines for maternal and child health
Suzanne R Hill
Volume 90, Number 3, March 2012, 236-238
Table 1. Priority medicines for mothers and children
| Indication | Medicine |
|---|---|
| For mothers | |
| Postpartum haemorrhage: | |
| treatment | Oxytocin: 10 IU in 1-ml ampoule |
| Sodium chloride: injectable solution 0.9% isotonic or Sodium lactate compound solution – injectable (Ringer’s lactate) | |
| prevention | Misoprostol: tablet 200 μg |
| Severe pre-eclampsia and eclampsia | Magnesium sulfate: injection 500 mg/ml in a 2-ml ampoule, 500 mg/ml in a 10-ml ampoule |
| Calcium gluconate injection (for treatment of magnesium toxicity): 100 mg/ml in a 10-ml ampoule | |
| Maternal sepsis: | |
| treatment of infection due to sepsis | Ampicillin: powder for injection 500 mg; 1 g (as a sodium salt) in vial |
| Gentamicin: injection 10 mg; 40 mg/ml in a 2-ml vial | |
| Metronidazole: injection 500 mg in a 100-ml vial | |
| treatment incomplete miscarriage | Misoprostol: tablet 200 μg |
| Chlamydia | Azithromycin: capsule 250 mg; 500 mg or oral liquid 200 mg/5 ml |
| Gonorrhoea | Cefixime: capsule 400 mg |
| Syphilis | Benzathine benzylpenicillin: powder for injection 900 mg benzylpenicillin in a 5-ml vial; 1.44 g benzylpenicillin in a 5-ml vial |
| Prevention of early labour | Betamethasone: injection 5.7 mg/ml as betamethasone sodium phosphate 3.9 mg (in solution) or betamethasone acetate 3 mg (in suspension) in an aqueous vehicle or Dexamethasone – injection 4 mg dexamethasone phosphate (as disodium salt) in 1-ml ampoule |
| Nifedipine: immediate release capsule 10 mg | |
| For children aged less than 5 years | |
| Pneumonia | Amoxicillin: dispersible, scored tablets 250 mg and 500 mg or equivalent flexible oral solid dosage form, in blister packs of 10 |
| Ampicillin: powder for injection 500 mg and 1 g | |
| Ceftriaxone: powder for injection 250 mg and 1 g | |
| Gentamicin: injection 20 mg/ml | |
| Procaine benzylpenicillin: powder for injection 1 g and 3 g | |
| Oxygen: medicinal gas | |
| Diarrhoea | Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS): sachets of 200 ml; 500 ml and 1 litre, appropriate flavour |
| Zinc: 20 mg scored dispersible tablet or equivalent flexible oral solid dosage form | |
| Malaria | Artemisinin combination therapy (ACT): strengths and combinations according to WHO treatment guidelines 2010, dispersible tablet or flexible oral solid dosage form and dose-optimized |
| Artesunate: rectal and injection dosage forms 50–200 mg | |
| Neonatal sepsis | Ceftriaxone: powder for injection 250 mg and 1 g |
| Gentamicin: injection 20 mg/ml | |
| Procaine benzylpenicillin: powder for injection 1 g and 3 g | |
| Standard regimen for first-line antiretroviral treatment for HIV/AIDS | 1 non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor plus 2 nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (such as the fixed-dose combination of lamivudine + nevirapine + zidovudine) |
| Measles/vitamin A deficiency | Vitamin A: capsule 100 000 IU strength; 200 000 IU strength |
| Palliative care and pain | Paracetamol: variable flexible oral solid dosage forms |
| Palliative care and pain | Morphine: granules 20 mg, 30 mg, 60 mg, 100 mg, 200 mg, injection 10 mg/ml, oral liquid 10 mg/5 ml, variable flexible oral solid dosage forms |