Arbidol Children

In the fight against viral infections in children, modern antiviral medicines, which include and produced by the Russian company Pharmstandard-Leksredstva drug called Arbidol. How does this medicine affect the children's body and how to give it to the child correctly?

Arbidol is produced in three forms:

1. Powder to which water is added and get suspension for ingestion. This form is most convenient for children because it is easily swallowed and dosed using the measuring spoon attached to the bottle. The powder is characterized by a white color and a fruity odor. In the amount of 37 grams placed in a dark bottle of glass with a volume of 125 ml. There is a 100 ml mark on the bottle that helps to properly dilute the powder with water. The finished suspension has a fruity aroma and white and cream or white and yellow color.
2. Tablets in a film cover. It is round, convex on both sides, white or creamy white, and if you break a pill, you will see white content, which has a cream or greenish-yellow tint. The tablets are sealed in blisters or polymer jars from 10 to 40 pieces in one package.
3. Capsules They are less commonly prescribed for children, since such hard gelatin capsules are larger in size than the tablet form. The color of the capsules differs depending on the dosage: yellow contains 50 mg of the active ingredient, and white contains a yellow lid - 100 mg. Inside there is a granular and powdery substance of white color with yellow-green or cream shade. One pack contains from 5 to 40 capsules.

Separately, we note the drug Arbidol Maximum. Under this name, the manufacturer offers capsules with increased dosage of the active compound. They have a white cap, and the contents are the same as those of Arbidol capsules. One pack of this medicine contains 10 or 20 capsules.

The main component of any form of Arbidol, due to which the drug has the ability to influence viruses, is represented by umifenovir in the form of hydrochloride monohydrate. The finished suspension contains 25 mg of this compound per 5 milliliters of the drug, and the tablets, like capsules, contain either 50 mg or 100 mg of this substance each. In Arbidol, maximum umifenovir is contained in an amount of 200 mg per 1 capsule.

Additional substances of tablets are povidone K30, starch from potatoes, MCC, sodium croscarmellose and calcium stearate, and the shell is made of hypromellose, macrogol 4000, polysorbate 80 and titanium dioxide. The internal contents of the capsules are similar to the composition of the tablets, but croscarmellose powder is replaced by colloidal silicon dioxide. For the capsule shell, titanium dioxide and gelatin are used, and dyes are added for color.

Umiphenovir contained in Arbidol has an antiviral effect, which consists in preventing the adhesion of viruses to mucosal cells. It is this effect that helps to quickly get rid of such symptoms of malaise as sore throat, runny nose or cough, and also contributes to the rapid elimination of general weakness, fever with chills, headache and other signs of toxicity.

And in this issue Dr. Komarovsky will tell us all about viral infections, how the infection happens and how to deal with germs.

Since viruses cannot communicate with human cells, they soon die. This effect also determines the prophylactic effect of the drug. Once on the mucous membrane, the virus can not be fixed in the respiratory tract and is in the body for a limited amount of time without causing illness. If the drug is taken at the initial stage of ARVI, it helps to alleviate the course of the disease and prevent complications.

The drug is effective when infected with influenza viruses, rhinoviruses, coronaviruses, PC viruses, adenoviruses and parainfluenza pathogens. In addition to the antiviral effect, Arbidol has such effects:

• Immunostimulating. It is associated with the activating effect of the drug on macrophages, which improves the processes of phagocytosis, as well as on lymphocytes, as a result of which the number of natural killers and T-helpers increases. In addition, umifenovir stimulates the synthesis of interferon, so that the immune defense response to the virus will be stronger.
• Detoxification. This effect is manifested by a decrease in signs of intoxication, since the drug does not allow viral particles to damage healthy cells in the mucosa. As a result, the inflammatory process is not supported, and the level of degradation products in the blood from already damaged cells gradually decreases.

Clinically, the effect of umifenovir on the child’s body leads to:

• Reducing the risk of SARS or flu during the epidemic season.
• Easier course of viral infection of the respiratory tract.
• Reducing the risk of complications of infections.
• Reducing the frequency of exacerbations of chronic pathologies such as herpes or bronchitis.
• Reducing the risk of the emergence of infectious viral complications in the postoperative period.
• Acceleration of recovery from rotavirus.

Arbidol is assigned to children:

• In viral infections of the upper respiratory tract, including parainfluenza and influenza. The tool is recommended to give at the first symptoms, for example, at a temperature of 38 degrees, since an earlier start of administration allows to achieve a more pronounced effect.
• In case of rotavirus enteritis, as a combination therapy drug.
• With coronavirus-induced SARS syndrome (also called SARS).
• For the prevention of infection by viruses against which umifenovir is active.
• For the treatment of chronic herpes, chronic bronchitis or pneumonia. With such pathologies, the drug is prescribed in addition to the main therapy.
• To prevent infectious complications in patients who underwent surgery.
• With secondary immunodeficiency.

Children under 2 years old should not be given any form of the drug, since Arbidol in liquid form is allowed only for the treatment of babies who have turned 2 years old, and solid forms of medication are prescribed only from 3 years. In the abstract it is noted that the suspension is used in two-year-olds and older with flu, ARVI or rotavirus. If this medication is prescribed for SARS, then the limit for treatment will be 12 years old, and for prophylactic administration - age 6 years.

Tablets or capsules give a three-year-old child and older if the baby is able to swallow them without any particular difficulty. If it is difficult for a child to swallow such solid medicine, the doctor prescribes a suspension. Since the dosage in the drug Arbidol Maximum is increased, it is permissible to give such capsules to children only from 12 years old.

The use of any variant of Arbidol is not recommended when umiphenovir intolerance is detected. You can not give drugs and hypersensitivity to their other components.

Due to the presence of sucrose and maltodextrin in the suspension, this form is not used for malabsorption (glucose-galactose), lack of isomaltase or deficiency of sucrose. Also, it must be carefully prescribed for diabetes. Adults do not prescribe medication during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Some babies get allergy when taking Arbidol. Such an adverse reaction is extremely rarely represented by anaphylaxis and is often in the form of pruritus or urticaria. It is also possible the appearance of skin rash or angioedema.

Suspension, capsules or tablets should be taken before meals. To prepare a liquid medication, water is poured into a bottle with the powder a little pre-boiled and cooled to room temperature water (approximately 30 ml). After agitation, water is added to the inside of the vial so that the total volume of the medicine is 100 ml (compared with the label). Shaking the drug is required before each administration, because the suspension is stratified during storage.

For children of this age, medication is given exclusively in the form of a suspension. Since a single dose is 50 mg of umifenovir, the child should be given 10 ml of the drug at a time.

At this age, Arbidol is acceptable to give both in liquid and in solid form. The dosage of the medication at one time for children under six years old is 50 mg of the active ingredient, which corresponds to:

• 10 ml suspension
• 1 tablet with the content of the active compound 50 mg
• 1 capsule containing 50 mg umifenovir

A single dose for this age group is 100 mg of umifenovir. Their child can get from:

• 20 ml suspension
• 1 tablet with 100 mg of the active ingredient or 2 tablets of 50 mg each of umifenovir
• 1 capsule with 100 mg of umifenovir or 2 capsules, 50 mg each, of the active ingredient

At this age, 200 mg of umifenovir are given at one time, which corresponds to:

• 8 scoops of suspension (40 ml)
• 4 tablets or capsules of 50 mg of active ingredient
• 2 tablets or capsules of 100 mg of active compound
• 1 capsule Arbidol Maximum

Taking into account the disease and the purpose of the use of Arbidol is appointed as follows:

• To prevent infection with SARS or flu at the height of the epidemic, twice a day for three weeks.
• To protect a child who has been in contact with a patient with ARVI or the flu - once a day for 10-14 days.
• When there is no complications of acute respiratory viral infections or uncomplicated flu, for 5 days four times a day (with an interval of 6 hours).
• In case of influenza or ARVI, if there are complications in the form of pneumonia or bronchitis, first four times, and after five days of treatment, they are taken once a week for 4 weeks.
• With rotavirus infection - four times a day for a course of 5 days.
• To prevent the development of SARS - once a day for 12-14 days.
• For the treatment of SARS in children over 12 years old - for 8-10 days, 2 doses per day.
• To prevent viral complications after surgical treatment, once a day for two days before surgery, and then on the second and fifth days after the intervention.
• In chronic bronchitis or herpes (for example, in herpetic sore throat) - the drug is prescribed a course of 5-7 days four times, and then given for 4 weeks only twice a week.

Annotation to the drug indicates that there were no cases of overdose or incompatibility of Arbidol with other medicines, when using this medicine.

All drugs Arbidol are over-the-counter medicines and are freely sold in pharmacies. On average, one bottle of powder costs about 300 rubles, and the price of one pack of 10 tablets of 50 mg each of the active component is 150 rubles.

Capsules, tablets and powder not diluted with water should be made at home at a temperature of up to + 250C in a place where a small child will not have the drug. The shelf life of unopened powder, capsules Arbidol Maximum and tablets in the shell is 2 years, and capsules Arbidol - 3 years. After preparation of the suspension, the medication should be stored in the refrigerator for no longer than 10 days. In this case, freezing the drug is unacceptable.

We offer to see the next no less interesting issue of Dr. Komarovsky about antiviral children's medicines.

Many mothers speak well about the use of Arbidol in children, noting that taking this medicine in the first days of the illness helped to get rid of ARVI and recover from the flu. Parents who gave the medication for prophylactic purposes also confirm that children have had less colds and acute respiratory viral infections during the season of such diseases, and if they became infected, the disease was easier.

For the treatment of children, mothers often prefer a suspension, since dispensing it is easy, and a pleasant taste does not cause complaints to most babies. However, many parents complain about its non-durable shelf life, as well as the high cost. There are also reviews that mention the ineffectiveness of the drug.

Opinions of doctors regarding Arbidol are also different. Some pediatricians recommend it during the cold season and are often used in children with the flu or rotavirus. Others prefer to deal with acute respiratory viral infections with symptomatic agents, for example, Dr. Komarovsky places greater emphasis on heavy drinking, humidifying the air, and frequent airing.

To replace Arbidol with another medication, it is best to consult a doctor, because each of the antiviral drugs has its own limitations. Instead of Arbidol, a pediatrician may recommend a syrup. Orvirem, pills Amiksin, syrup Amizonchik, tablets Kagocel and other medicines. If a small patient has severe chickenpox or herpetic sore throat, the use of acyclovir preparations is preferable.

To support the immune system, children with ARVI are also often prescribed medications based on interferon. One of the most popular means of this group is Viferon, produced in gel, rectal suppositories and ointments. Immunostimulating effect is also noted in syrup Tsitovir-3assigned to children from 1 year and older.

In addition, many mothers with frequent diseases in children decide to give homeopathy to their son or daughter, for example, Ergoferon, Aflubin or Anaferon. However, the majority of doctors consider such means ineffective and do not consider them an adequate substitute for Arbidol.