Brucellosis medical therapy
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Raviteja Guddeti, M.B.B.S. [2]
Medical Therapy
Treatment can be difficult. Doctors can prescribe effective antibiotics. Usually, doxycycline and rifampin are used in combination for 6 weeks to prevent reoccuring infection. Depending on the timing of treatment and severity of illness, recovery may take a few weeks to several months. The use of more than one antibiotic is needed for several weeks, due to the fact that the bacteria incubates within cells. Mortality is low (<2%), and is usually associated with endocarditis [1].
Pharmacotherapy
Acute Pharmacotherapies
The gold standard treatment for adults is daily intramuscular injections of streptomycin 1 g for 14 days and oral doxycycline 100 mg twice daily for 45 days (concurrently). Gentamicin 5 mg/kg by intramuscular injection once daily for 7 days is an acceptable substitute when streptomycin is not available or difficult to obtain.[2] Another widely used regimen is doxycycline plus rifampin twice daily for at least 6 weeks. This regimen has the advantage of oral administration. A triple therapy of doxycycline, together with rifampin and cotrimoxazole has been used succefully to treat neurobrucellosis. [3] Doxycycline is able to cross the blood-brain barrier, but requires the addition of two other drugs to prevent relapse. Ciprofloxacin and co-trimoxazole therapy is associated with an unacceptably high rate of relapse.
In brucellic endocarditis surgery is required for an optimal outcome.
Even with optimal antibrucellic therapy relapses still occur in 5-10 percent of patients with Malta fever. Experiments have shown that cotrimoxyzol and rifampin are both safe drugs to use in treatment of pregnant women who have Brucellosis.
Antimicrobial Regimen
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- 1.Uncomplicated brucellosis in adults and children ≥8yrs of age
- Preferred regimen: Doxycycline 100 mg PO bid for 6 weeks AND Streptomycin 1 g/day IM for 2-3 weeks
- Alternative regimen (1): Doxycycline 100 mg/day PO for six weeks AND Gentamicin 5mg/kg IM for 7-days
- Alternative regimen (2): Gentamicin 5mg/kg/day IV/ IM for 7-10 days AND Rifampicin 600–900 mg/day PO for six weeks
- 2. Complications of brucellosis
- 2.1 Spondylitis
- Preferred regimen:Doxycycline for 3 months AND Streptomycin for 2 to 3 weeks.
- 2.2 Neurobrucellosis
- Preferred regimen: Ceftriaxone 2 mg IV q12h for 1 month AND Doxycycline 100 mg PO bid for 4-5 month AND Rifampicin 600–900 mg/day PO for 4-5 month
- 2.3 Brucella endocarditis
- Preferred regimen: Doxycycline AND an Aminoglycoside for at least 8 weeks, and therapy should be continued for several weeks after surgery when valve replacement is necessary
- Note: Rifampicin OR Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole are used for their ability to penetrate cell membranes
- 3. Pregnancy
- Preferred regimen:Rifampin 900 mg PO qd for 6 weeks
- Note: Adding Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole can be considered, but this option should probably be avoided preceding the 13th week and after the 36th week of gestation because of concern about teratogenicity and kernicterus.
- 4.For children < 8 yrs of age
- Preferred regimen (1): TMP/SMZ 8/40 mg/ kg/day PO bid for 6 weeks AND Streptomycin 30 mg/kg/day IM q24h for 3 weeks
- Preferred regimen (2): Gentamicin 5 mg/kg/day IM/ IV q24h for 7-10 days
- Alternative regimen (1): TMP/SMZ AND Rifampicin 15 mg/kg/day PO for 6 weeks
- Alternative regimen (2): Rifampicin AND an Aminoglycoside
Reference
- ↑ http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo
- ↑ Roushan MRH, Mohraz M, Hajiahmadi M, Ramzani A, Valayati AA (2006). "Efficacy of gentamicin plus doxycycline versus streptomycin plus doxycycline in the treatment of brucellosis in humans". Clin Infect Dis. 42 (8): 1075&ndash, 80.
- ↑ McLean DR, Russell N, Khan MY (1992). "Neurobrucellosis: Clinical and therapeutic features". Clin Infect Dis. 15: 582&ndash, 90.
- ↑ Corbel, Michael (2006). Brucellosis in humans and animals. Geneva: World Health Organization. ISBN 9241547138.
- ↑ Bennett, John (2015). Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's principles and practice of infectious diseases. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier/Saunders. ISBN 978-1455748013.