Table: Dosing Guidelines for Commonly Used Opioid Analgesics in Infants and Children

Drug Equianalgesic Doses Usual Starting IV Doses
and Intervals
Parenteral/
Oral Dose Ratio
Usual Starting Oral Doses and Intervals
  PARENTERAL ORAL Child < 50 kg Child ≥ 50 kg   Child < 50 kg Child ≥ 50 kg
Codeine 120 mg 200 mg N/R N/R 1:2 0.5-1 mg/kg q 3-4 hrs 30-60 mg q 3-4 hr
Morphine 10 mg 30 mg
(long-term)
Bolus: 0.1 mg/kg
q 2-4 hr
Infusion: 0.02 –0.03
mg/kg/hr
Bolus: 5-8 mg
q 2-4 hr
Infusion:1.5 mg/hr
1:3 Immediate Release:
0.3 mg/kg q 3-4 hr
Immediate Release: 15-20 mg q 3-4 hr
Sustained Release:
30-45 mg q 8-12 hr
Oxycodone N/A 15-20 mg N/A N/A N/A 0.1-0.2 mg/kg q 3-4 hr 5-10 mg q 3-4 hr
Methadone 10 mg 10-20 mg 0.1 mg/kg † 5-8 mg q 4-8 hr 1:2 0.1 mg/kg q 4-8 hr 10 mg q 4-8 hr
Fentanyl 100 mcg
(0.1 mg)
N/A Bolus:
0.5-1.0 mcg/kg q 1-2 hr Infusion: 0.5- 2.0 mcg/kg/hr
Bolus: 25-50 mcg q 1-2 hrs Infusion: 25-100 mcg hr N/A N/A N/A
Hydromorphone 1.5-2 mg 6-8 mg Bolus: 0.02 mg
q 2-4 hr
Infusion:
0.006 mg/kg/hr
Bolus:1 mg q 2-4 hrs
Infusion: 0.3 mg/hr
1.4 0.04-0.08 mg/kg
q 3-4 hr
2-4 mg q 3-4 hr
Meperidine+ (pethidine) 75-100 mg 300 mg Bolus:0.8-1.0 mg/kg
q 2-3 hr
Bolus:50-75 mg
q 2-3 hr
1.4 2-3 mg/kg q 3-4 hr 100-150 mg q
3-4 hr

*Doses are for patients over six months of age. All doses are approximate and should be adjusted according to clinical circumstances.
†See text for information about methadone sliding scale administration.
+Meperidine should generally be avoided if other opioids are available, especially with chronic use, because its metabolite can cause seizures.

Reproduced with permission from Berde CB,Sethna NF.Analgesics for the treatment of pain in children.N Eng J Med.2002;347:1094-1103.114

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