From the Guidelines
Doxycycline is effective for treating cellulitis, particularly when empirical coverage for community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) is desired.
Key Points
- Doxycycline is recommended as an oral antibiotic option for empirical coverage of CA-MRSA in outpatients with skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTIs), including cellulitis 1.
- The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guidelines suggest that doxycycline, along with other antibiotics such as clindamycin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), can be used for the treatment of cellulitis, especially when CA-MRSA is suspected 1.
- However, it's essential to note that MRSA is an unusual cause of typical cellulitis, and coverage for MRSA may not always be necessary 1.
- For nonpurulent cellulitis, empirical therapy for beta-hemolytic streptococci is recommended, and doxycycline can be considered in combination with a beta-lactam antibiotic for coverage against both streptococci and CA-MRSA 1.
- The dosage of doxycycline for adults is typically 100 mg orally twice a day, and for children, it is 2 mg/kg/dose orally every 12 hours 1.
- It is crucial to individualize the treatment based on the patient's clinical response and to consider the local epidemiology and resistance patterns when selecting an antibiotic regimen 1.
The FDA Drug Labels for doxycycline (PO) do not address this question.
From the Research
Effectiveness of Doxycycline for Treating Cellulitis
- There are no direct studies provided that assess the effectiveness of doxycycline for treating cellulitis.
- However, studies have compared the effectiveness of oral and parenteral antimicrobials for the treatment of cellulitis, with oral antimicrobials being as effective as parenteral antimicrobials 2.
- Other studies have investigated the use of different antibiotics, such as levofloxacin, and found that a short course of 5 days is as effective as a standard course of 10 days for uncomplicated cellulitis 3.
- The management of cellulitis in pediatric patients has also been studied, with oral antibiotics such as cephalexin being commonly prescribed and effective for noncomplicated, nonfacial cellulitis 4.
- Additionally, a review of common myths regarding the diagnosis and treatment of cellulitis highlights the importance of accurate diagnosis and appropriate antibiotic utilization, but does not specifically address the use of doxycycline 5.