Antimicrobials for Bite Wounds
Medication | Comments |
|---|---|
Human and dog bites | |
Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid | For outpatients Prophylaxis: Give for 3 days Treatment: Give for 5–7 days |
Ampicillin/sulbactam | For inpatients Effective against alpha-hemolytic streptococci, Staphylococcus aureus, and Eikenella corrodens |
Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole plus | For penicillin-allergic patients (use weight-appropriate doses for children) |
Clindamycin | |
Doxycycline | Alternative for dog bites in penicillin-allergic patients, except children < 8 years and pregnant women |
Clindamycin plus | Alternative for dog bites in adults |
A fluoroquinolone (eg, ciprofloxacin) | |
Cat bites* | |
Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid | For outpatients Prophylaxis: Give for 3 days Treatment: Give for 5–7 days |
A fluoroquinolone (eg, ciprofloxacin) | For prophylaxis and treatment in adults |
Clarithromycin | Alternative for children Effective against Pasturella multocida† |
Clindamycin | Alternative for children |
Monkey bites‡ | |
Acyclovir | For prophylaxis |
* Squirrel, gerbil, rabbit, and guinea pig bites rarely become infected, but when they do, they can be treated with the same medications used to treat infected cat bites. | |
† Bartonella henselae—see Cat-Scratch Disease—is also transmitted by cat bites. | |
‡ For treatment of infected monkey bites, use antibacterial medications similar to those used for infected human and dog bites. | |