Phytomenadione Injectable: Dosing and Precautions
Vitamin K1 guidance for prophylaxis and treatment of haemorrhagic disease of the newborn.
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Source reviewed
March 2024
Guide category
Injectable drugs
Safety boundary
Prescription medicine information for clinician-guided use.
Kenza Health Hub presents this medicine page as structured health education. Check dose, route, interactions, pregnancy or breast-feeding considerations, and local protocol with a qualified clinician or pharmacist. Read our medical editorial policy.
Therapeutic action
Vitamin, anti-haemorrhagic.
Indications
Prophylaxis and treatment of haemorrhagic disease of the newborn.
Forms and strengths, route of administration
- 2 mg ampoule (10 mg/ml, 0.2 ml) for oral administration, IM injection, or slow IV injection.
Dose
Prophylaxis of haemorrhagic disease of the newborn
By IM route on the day of birth:
- Neonate under 1.5 kg: 0.5 mg single dose.
- Neonate 1.5 kg and over: 1 mg single dose.
Treatment of haemorrhagic disease of the newborn
By IM or slow IV route:
- 1 mg every 8 hours if necessary, depending on clinical evolution and coagulation test results.
Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions
- May cause allergic reactions, especially by IV route, and haematoma at IM injection site.
- Pregnancy and breast-feeding: no contra-indication.
- Also comes in 10 mg ampoules for use in adults only, for example in treatment of haemorrhage due to antivitamin K agents.
- Vitamin K1 is also used as prophylaxis for neonatal hypoprothrombinaemia in mothers treated with enzyme-inducing antituberculosis drugs during pregnancy: administer 10 mg/day orally for 15 days before birth.
- This maternal prevention does not change the need for IM administration of vitamin K in neonates.
- Do not dilute or mix with other drugs in the same syringe.
Source
MSF Essential drugs practical guidelines (January 2026)
This page combines source-derived medicine reference sections with Kenza editorial context, while leaving out the Storage and Remarks sections from the source batch.
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