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 ……… omeprazole ………..mg tablet(s) and place inside the barrel of the oral syringe.
Do not crush the tablet.
3) If a 5mg dose (half a tablet) is required, cut a 10mg tablet in half 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 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 (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). 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 (or within 30mins).
5) A small amount of fruit juice, apple sauce or yogurt can be added to this mixture, but do NOT use milk or fizzy drinks.
6) Rinse down with half a glass of water.
Older children
Some children may prefer to swallow the tablet whole (note: capsules are also available if preferred). Your child should not chew the tablet. Tablets should not be crushed.
PEG or NG tube fed infants and children
1) Place the tablet in the barrel of an enteral syringe with 25ml of water and 5ml of air and shake to disperse it. The pellets should not be crushed.
2) Ensure the tip of the syringe has not been clogged.
3) Attach the syringe to the tube whilst keeping the tip upright to prevent clogging.
4) Give the medication while turning the syringe upside down a few times and shaking to disperse the contents.
5) When the fluid is gone from the syringe, a further 25ml of water and 5ml of air should be drawn up, and the process repeated.
6) Flush the tube very well after giving the dose to prevent blocking the tube.