Administration to children under 1 year who are not spoon fed
1) Take the oral syringe and pull the plunger out of the barrel.
2) Take …… lansoprazole ……mg orodispersible tablet(s) and place inside the barrel of the oral syringe. Do not crush the tablet.
3) If a 7.5mg dose (half a tablet) or 3.75mg (quarter of a tablet) is required, cut a 15mg tablet in half or quarters using the tablet splitter / cutter provided as directed.
4) Replace plunger and draw up 10ml of water (tap water should be boiled and cooled for children under 6 months of age).
5) Gently shake the oral syringe until a very cloudy mixture is created. This may take 5 to 10 minutes.
The orodispersible tablets ‘disperse’ or breakdown into pellets, rather than dissolving completely. This is why it is not possible to dissolve a whole tablet in 10ml of water and then use a portion.
6) Direct the oral syringe towards the inside of the child’s cheek and slowly push the plunger until the dose is given.
7) If some of the dispersed tablet is still left, draw a further small amount of water up into the oral syringe, shake and give as above to the child.
8) Pull apart the oral syringe and clean as directed.
Safety tips for infants for new born to 1 year old
- Do not squirt medicine directly at the back of the baby’s throat. This may cause your child to choke.
- Give small amounts of medicine at a time to avoid choking.
- Let the baby swallow all the medicine before you give more.
NOTE: pellets tend to settle to the bottom in oral syringes and there is a risk that the child may not receive the full dose: ensure that all of the pellets are drawn up and given to your child. NOTE: the oral syringe is NOT designed for injection, it is only for giving medicines by mouth. If a 10ml oral syringe is not available, a medicine cup may be used to disperse the tablet in 10ml of water. A smaller oral syringe may then be used to administer the medicine in parts. If using a medicine cup to disperse the tablets, it is important to ensure that ALL of the pellets are drawn up into the oral syringe and given to your child.Important: Keep all medicines out of reach of children.
Administration to children who are spoon fed
1) Disperse the tablet (or fraction of) in 10ml of non-fizzy water (two medicine spoons). Tap water for babies over 6 months doesn’t have to be boiled.
2) Do not crush or chew the tablet.
3) Stir gently until a very cloudy mixture is created.
4) Once the tablet has dispersed, it should be given straight away.
5) The tablets can also be administered in apple juice or orange juice.
6) Rinse down with half a glass of water.
Older children
Orodispersible tablets may be placed directly on to the child’s tongue and allowed to melt. Make sure your child does not chew or crush the tablets.
Alternatively some children may prefer to swallow the tablet whole (note: capsules are also available if preferred).
PEG or NG tube fed infants and children
1) Place an orodispersible tablet in the barrel of an enteral syringe, then draw up 10ml water and 1ml of air.
2) Shake and allow the tablet to disperse.
3) Administer the contents of the syringe via the nasogastric tube. It can be helpful to repeatedly shake the syringe and turn it upside down during administration to keep the granules suspended. Do not crush the pellets with plunger as the syringe empties.
4) Draw up 5ml of water and repeat the process until all the granules have been administered.
5) Flush the tube well following administration.