1
|
Stupica D, Collinet-Adler S, Blagus R, Gomišček A, Cerar Kišek T, Ružić-Sabljić E, Velušček M. Treatment of erythema migrans with doxycycline for 7 days versus 14 days in Slovenia: a randomised open-label non-inferiority trial. THE LANCET. INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2023; 23:371-379. [PMID: 36209759 DOI: 10.1016/s1473-3099(22)00528-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lyme borreliosis is the most prevalent vector-borne disease in Europe and the USA. Doxycycline for 10 days is the primary treatment recommendation for erythema migrans. To reduce potentially harmful antibiotic overuse by identifying shorter effective treatments, we aimed to assess whether oral doxycycline for 7 days is non-inferior to 14 days in adults with solitary erythema migrans. METHODS In this randomised open-label non-inferiority trial, we enrolled patients with a solitary erythema at the University Medical Centre in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Patients were excluded if they were pregnant or lactating, immunosuppressed, allergic to doxycycline, or had received antibiotics with anti-borrelial activity within 10 days preceding enrolment or had additional manifestations of Lyme borreliosis Adults were randomly allocated 1:1 to receive oral doxycycline 100 mg twice a day for 7 days or 14 days. The primary efficacy endpoint was the difference in proportion of patients with treatment failure, defined as persistent erythema, new objective signs of Lyme borreliosis, or borrelial isolation on skin re-biopsy at 2 months, in a per-protocol analysis (the population that completed the assigned doxycycline regimen according to the study protocol and did not receive any other antibiotics with anti-borrelial activity until the 2-month visit). The non-inferiority margin was 6 percentage points. Safety was assessed in all randomly assigned patients who followed the study protocol and were evaluable at the 14-day visit. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03153267. FINDINGS Between July 3, 2017, and Oct 2, 2018, we enrolled 300 patients (150 per group: median age 56 years [IQR 47-65]; 126 [45%] of 300 male; skin culture positive 72 [30%] of 239 assessed). 295 patients completed antibiotic therapy as per protocol and 294 (98%) patients were evaluable 2 months post-enrolment. Five (3%) of 147 patients from the 7-day group versus 3 (2%) of 147 patients from the 14-day group (one patient did not attend the 2-month visit and was unreachable by telephone) had treatment failure manifesting as persistence of erythema (difference 1·4 percentage points; upper limit of one-sided 95% CI 5·2 percentage points; p=0·64). No patients developed new objective manifestations of Lyme borreliosis during follow-up or had positive repeat skin biopsies. Two (1%) of 150 patients in the 7-day and one (1%) of 150 patients in the 14-day group discontinued therapy due to adverse events. INTERPRETATION Our data support 7 days of oral doxycycline for adult European patients with solitary erythema migrans, permitting less antibiotic exposure than current guideline-driven therapy. FUNDING Slovenian Research Agency and the University Medical Centre Ljubljana.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daša Stupica
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Slovenia and Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Stefan Collinet-Adler
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Park Nicollet/Health Partners, Methodist Hospital, Saint Louis Park, MN, USA
| | - Rok Blagus
- Institute for Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Faculty of Sports, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Slovenia and Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia
| | | | - Tjaša Cerar Kišek
- National Laboratory of Health, Environment and Food, Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Eva Ružić-Sabljić
- Institute for Microbiology and Immunology Ljubljana, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Maša Velušček
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Strle F, Wormser GP. Early Lyme Disease (Erythema Migrans) and Its Mimics (Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness and Tick-Associated Rash Illness). Infect Dis Clin North Am 2022; 36:523-539. [PMID: 36116832 DOI: 10.1016/j.idc.2022.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Erythema migrans, an expanding erythematous skin lesion that develops days to weeks following an Ixodes species tick bite, is the most common clinical manifestation of Lyme disease. Presentations in the United States differ somewhat from that in Europe, presumably because of the different etiologic agents. Diagnosis is based on the appearance of the skin lesion, rather than on laboratory testing. After treatment with an appropriate oral antibiotic for 10 to 14 days, the prognosis is excellent. Two conditions that cause a similar skin lesion following a tick bite, but are of unknown cause, are Southern tick-associated rash illness in the United States and tick-associated rash illness in Japan.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Franc Strle
- University Medical Center Ljubljana, Japljeva 2, Ljubljana 1525, Slovenia.
| | - Gary P Wormser
- New York Medical College, 40 Sunshine Cottage Road, Skyline Office, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Abstract
BACKGROUND/HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE Lyme arthritis was described in 1977, after an apparent outbreak of juvenile idiopathic arthritis in Lyme, Connecticut. The evolution of the disease has been meticulously described with presentation dependent on disease duration and previous therapy. SUMMARY INTEGRATING PUBLISHED LITERATURE Erythema migrans is typically the first manifestation. Untreated patients often develop early disseminated disease, characterized by migratory polyarthralgia, potentially with cardiac and/or neurologic sequelae. If untreated, most patients develop late Lyme arthritis, characterized as a monoarthritis or oligoarthritis, typically involving the knees. Serologies are strongly positive at this stage; if positive, Lyme PCR from synovial fluid confirms the diagnosis. Doxycycline is recommended for late Lyme arthritis, although amoxicillin or ceftriaxone may be considered.Initial antibiotic therapy for late Lyme arthritis is insufficient for a subset of patients. However, serologies and synovial fluid PCR are not useful at determining whether infection persists after oral therapy. As such, ceftriaxone is recommended in patients with inadequate response to doxycycline or amoxicillin.Approximately 10% of patients have persistent arthritis despite antimicrobial therapy, termed postinfectious Lyme arthritis, which is thought to be related to prolonged inflammation and unique microbial and host interaction. Therapy at this stage relies on immunosuppression and/or synovectomy. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH Lyme arthritis provides unique insights into the complex interplay between microbes and host immunity. The progression from localized erythema migrans to early disseminated disease and late Lyme arthritis allows insight into arthritis initiation, and the study of postinfectious Lyme arthritis allows further insight into mechanisms of arthritis persistence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John B Miller
- From the Division of Rheumatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Comparison of the clinical practice guidelines for Lyme disease from the Infectious Diseases Society of America: 2000, 2006, and 2020. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 2021; 101:115446. [PMID: 34256207 DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2021.115446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
|
5
|
Lantos PM, Rumbaugh J, Bockenstedt LK, Falck-Ytter YT, Aguero-Rosenfeld ME, Auwaerter PG, Baldwin K, Bannuru RR, Belani KK, Bowie WR, Branda JA, Clifford DB, DiMario FJ, Halperin JJ, Krause PJ, Lavergne V, Liang MH, Meissner HC, Nigrovic LE, Nocton JJJ, Osani MC, Pruitt AA, Rips J, Rosenfeld LE, Savoy ML, Sood SK, Steere AC, Strle F, Sundel R, Tsao J, Vaysbrot EE, Wormser GP, Zemel LS. Clinical Practice Guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), American Academy of Neurology (AAN), and American College of Rheumatology (ACR): 2020 Guidelines for the Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Lyme Disease. Clin Infect Dis 2021; 72:e1-e48. [PMID: 33417672 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa1215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This evidence-based clinical practice guideline for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Lyme disease was developed by a multidisciplinary panel representing the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), and the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). The scope of this guideline includes prevention of Lyme disease, and the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease presenting as erythema migrans, Lyme disease complicated by neurologic, cardiac, and rheumatologic manifestations, Eurasian manifestations of Lyme disease, and Lyme disease complicated by coinfection with other tick-borne pathogens. This guideline does not include comprehensive recommendations for babesiosis and tick-borne rickettsial infections, which are published in separate guidelines. The target audience for this guideline includes primary care physicians and specialists caring for this condition such as infectious diseases specialists, emergency physicians, internists, pediatricians, family physicians, neurologists, rheumatologists, cardiologists and dermatologists in North America.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul M Lantos
- Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | | | | | - Yngve T Falck-Ytter
- Case Western Reserve University, VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Paul G Auwaerter
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Kelly Baldwin
- Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Kiran K Belani
- Childrens Hospital and Clinical of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - William R Bowie
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - John A Branda
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David B Clifford
- Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | | | | | - Peter J Krause
- Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Amy A Pruitt
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jane Rips
- Consumer Representative, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | | | | | | | - Allen C Steere
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Franc Strle
- University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Robert Sundel
- Boston Children's Hospital Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jean Tsao
- Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | | | | | - Lawrence S Zemel
- Connecticut Children's Medical Center, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Lyme disease is an important, vector-borne infection found throughout the temperate Northern hemisphere. The disease causes rash, acute systemic illness, and in some untreated patients, inflammatory arthritis. This review examines the emergence, clinical features and management of early Lyme disease and Lyme arthritis. RECENT FINDINGS There has been continuing progress in characterizing the clinical manifestations, diagnostic testing and treatment of Lyme disease. Almost all patients with early Lyme disease can be cured with antibiotic treatment. In most cases, Lyme arthritis also responds to antibiotics, but some patients require additional treatment approaches. SUMMARY The diagnosis of Lyme disease is based on clinical manifestations and adjunctive laboratory testing. For the rheumatologist, Lyme arthritis should be recognized by a pattern of attacks of asymmetric, oligo-arthritis, recognizable by clinical manifestations in the same way that other rheumatic diseases, such as gout or rheumatoid arthritis, are diagnosed.
Collapse
|
7
|
Pacheco A, Rutler O, Valenzuela I, Feldman D, Eskin B, Allegra JR. Positive Tests for Lyme Disease and Emergency Department Visits for Bell's Palsy Patients. J Emerg Med 2020; 59:820-827. [PMID: 32978030 DOI: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2020.07.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Etiologies for Bell's palsy include herpes viruses and Lyme disease, with highest incidence in the colder and warmer months, respectively. In New Jersey, a Lyme-endemic area, the months with the most Lyme disease (80% of cases) are May through October ("Lyme months"). OBJECTIVE Our aim was to determine whether positive tests for Lyme disease and visits are greater in the Lyme months than the rest of the year for patients with Bell's palsy in New Jersey emergency departments (EDs). METHODS We conducted a retrospective chart review from two New Jersey suburban EDs with consecutive patients from February 1, 2013 to January 31, 2018.We identified patients having Bell's palsy using the emergency physician diagnosis. We tabulated positive Lyme tests and visits for Bell's palsy by month of year. We calculated the ratio of positive tests and visits between the Lyme months and the rest of the year along with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS There were 442 visits for Bell's palsy, 359 (81%) of these patients were tested for Lyme disease and 57 (16%) of the tests were positive. The Lyme months had 7.1 (95% CI 3.5-14.4) times more positive tests and 1.3 (95% CI 1.1-1.4) times more Bell's palsy visits than the rest of the year. Both measures peaked in July. CONCLUSIONS In a Lyme-endemic area, positive Lyme tests and ED visits for Bell's palsy are greatest in the Lyme months, peaking in July. This finding can help guide testing and treatment for patients in the ED with Bell's palsy during various months of the year.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Barnet Eskin
- Morristown Medical Center, Morristown, New Jersey
| | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW To review the recent evidence clarifying the symptomatology and diagnosis of nervous system Lyme disease. RECENT FINDINGS Two-tier testing combining pairs of ELISAs, using C6 or VlsE assays to replace second tier Western blots, may eliminate confusion about test interpretation. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) can be informative in diagnosing central nervous system (CNS) Lyme disease, not peripheral nervous system (PNS) disorders. CSF CXCL13 may provide useful adjunctive information in CNS infection; its specificity remains to be defined. Lyme encephalopathy is not indicative of CNS infection. Post treatment Lyme disease symptoms do not occur in patients who have had definite CNS Lyme infection. Whether post treatment Lyme disease symptom (PTLDS) is an actual entity, or reflects anchoring bias when commonly occurring symptoms arise in patients previously treated for Lyme disease, remains to be determined. Regardless, these symptoms do not reflect CNS infection and do not respond to additional antimicrobial therapy. SUMMARY Serologic testing is robust in individuals with a priori likelihood of infection of greater than 2-6 weeks duration. Western blots provide useful confirmation of screening ELISAs, but may be replaced by second ELISAs. CSF testing, including CXCL13, may be informative in CNS Lyme, not PNS, and is generally normal in Lyme encephalopathy. PTLDS does not occur following CNS infection, and may not be a distinct entity.
Collapse
|
9
|
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Since recognition in 1975, Lyme disease has become the most common vector-borne illness in North America and Europe. The clinical features are well-characterized and treatment is usually curative, but misperceptions about morbidity persist. The purpose of this review is to examine advances in the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease, as well as ongoing management challenges. RECENT FINDINGS It is useful to recognize that Lyme disease occurs in stages, with early- and late-stage disease. Clinical expression is in part determined by Borrelial variability. For example, some strains of Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative organism in North America, are particularly arthritogenic. Most patients with early Lyme disease can be cured with a single course of oral antibiotic therapy, in contrast to some patients with Lyme arthritis, a late-stage manifestation, who are more antibiotic refractory and require other treatment strategies. Successful treatment of Lyme disease begins with successful diagnosis and with an understanding of the emergence, clinical features, and impact of Lyme disease over the past half century.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert T Schoen
- Section of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Yale University School of Medicine, 60 Temple Street, Suite 6A, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Torbahn G, Hofmann H, Rücker G, Bischoff K, Freitag MH, Dersch R, Fingerle V, Motschall E, Meerpohl JJ, Schmucker C. Efficacy and Safety of Antibiotic Therapy in Early Cutaneous Lyme Borreliosis: A Network Meta-analysis. JAMA Dermatol 2019; 154:1292-1303. [PMID: 30285069 DOI: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2018.3186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Importance Controversies about the choice of antibiotic agent and treatment modality exist in the management of erythema migrans in early cutaneous Lyme borreliosis (LB). Objective To conduct a network meta-analysis (NMA) of all randomized clinical trials on various antibiotic agents and treatment modalities in early cutaneous LB. Data Sources Electronic searches in MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were conducted from inception until July 2017. The reference lists of the included studies were hand searched, authors were contacted, and ongoing trials were searched at ClinicalTrials.gov. Study Selection One reviewer screened the titles and abstracts of the 9975 reports identified by the electronic searches. Full-text copies of 161 potentially relevant articles were obtained, and 2 reviewers independently assessed those articles for inclusion. Adults with a physician-confirmed early localized skin infection who were treated with antibiotics of any dose or duration were included. Data Extraction and Synthesis Two reviewers independently extracted data on study, patient, and intervention characteristics. Network meta-analyses on treatment effects and adverse outcomes were calculated with a frequentist approach using the R package netmeta. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation guidance for NMA was used to assess the certainty of evidence. Main Outcomes and Measures Treatment effects for response to treatment (resolution of symptoms) and treatment-related adverse events. Results Overall, 19 studies (2532 patients) were included. The mean patient age ranged between 37 and 56 years, and the percentage of female patients ranged from 36% to 60%. The antibiotics investigated were doxycycline, cefuroxime axetil, ceftriaxone, amoxicillin, azithromycin, penicillin V, and minocycline. Pooled effect sizes from NMAs did not suggest any significant differences in treatment response by antibiotic agent (eg, amoxicillin vs doxycycline odds ratio, 1.26; 95% CI, 0.41-3.87), dose, or duration (eg, doxycycline, 200 mg/d for 3 weeks, vs doxycycline, 200 mg/d for 2 weeks, odds ratio, 1.28; 95% CI, 0.49-3.34). Treatment failures were rare at both 2 months (4%; 95% CI, 2%-5%) and 12 months (2%, 95% CI, 1%-3%) after treatment initiation. There were also no differences in the effect sizes among antibiotic agents and treatment modalities for treatment-related adverse outcomes, which were generally mild to moderate. Certainty of evidence was categorized as low and very low mostly because of imprecision, indirectness, and study limitations (high risk of bias) of the included studies. Conclusions and Relevance This NMA suggests that neither the antibiotic agent nor treatment modality contributed to comparative effectiveness or drug-related adverse outcomes. This finding is relevant for physicians treating patients with LB and for patient decision making.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Torbahn
- Institute for Evidence in Medicine (for Cochrane Germany Foundation), Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Heidelore Hofmann
- Department of Dermatology and Allergology, Technical University of Munich, München, Germany
| | - Gerta Rücker
- Institute for Evidence in Medicine (for Cochrane Germany Foundation), Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Division of General Practice and Family Medicine, Department of Health Services Research, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Karin Bischoff
- Institute for Evidence in Medicine (for Cochrane Germany Foundation), Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Michael H Freitag
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Rick Dersch
- National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleißheim, Germany
| | - Volker Fingerle
- Institute of Medical Biometry and Statistics, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Edith Motschall
- Division of General Practice and Family Medicine, Department of Health Services Research, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Joerg J Meerpohl
- Institute for Evidence in Medicine (for Cochrane Germany Foundation), Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Christine Schmucker
- Institute for Evidence in Medicine (for Cochrane Germany Foundation), Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This article presents an overview of the current diagnosis and management of two spirochetal infections of the nervous system, neuroborreliosis (Lyme disease) and neurosyphilis, focusing on similarities and differences. Although neuroborreliosis was first identified almost a century ago, much confusion remains about how to accurately diagnose this quite treatable nervous system infection. Well-established diagnostic tools and therapeutic regimens exist for neurosyphilis, which has been well-known for centuries. RECENT FINDINGS Serologic testing targeting the C6 antigen may simplify diagnostic testing in neuroborreliosis while improving accuracy. Historically, screening for syphilis has used a reaginic test followed by a treponeme-specific assay; alternative approaches, including use of well-defined recombinant antigens, may improve sensitivity without sacrificing specificity. In neuroborreliosis, measurement of the chemokine CXCL13 in CSF may provide a useful marker of disease activity in the central nervous system. SUMMARY Lyme disease causes meningitis, cranial neuritis, radiculitis, and mononeuropathy multiplex. Cognitive symptoms, occurring either during (encephalopathy) or after infection (posttreatment Lyme disease syndrome) are rarely, if ever, due to central nervous system infection. Posttreatment Lyme disease syndrome is not antibiotic responsive. Syphilis causes meningitis, cranial neuritis, chronic meningovascular syphilis, tabes dorsalis, and parenchymal neurosyphilis. The organism remains highly sensitive to penicillin, but residua of chronic infection may be irreversible.
Collapse
|
12
|
Wormser GP, Wormser RP, Strle F, Myers R, Cunha BA. How safe is doxycycline for young children or for pregnant or breastfeeding women? Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 2018; 93:238-242. [PMID: 30442509 DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2018.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Revised: 09/15/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Tetracycline antimicrobials entered into clinical usage in the late 1940s. Permanent dental staining from tetracyclines was first appreciated in 1956, eventually leading to avoidance of this class of antibiotics whenever possible in young children and pregnant or breastfeeding women. Doxycycline, introduced in 1967, binds calcium less avidly than prior tetracyclines and is regarded by some authorities as safe to prescribe for pregnant women and young children. Review of the available data, however, suggests that this interpretation may be incorrect or at least premature. In conclusion, until more definitive data are developed, doxycycline should continue to be only selectively prescribed for young children and pregnant or breastfeeding women for whom alternative, safer antibiotics are not available, and courses of treatment should be of as short a duration as possible.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gary P Wormser
- Division of Infectious Diseases, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595.
| | | | - Franc Strle
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University Medical Center Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Ronnie Myers
- Touro College of Dental Medicine at New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595
| | - Burke A Cunha
- Infectious Diseases Division, Winthrop University Hospital, Mineola, NY
| |
Collapse
|