From the Guidelines
The recommended dose of Augmentin (amoxicillin/clavulanic acid) for treating intraabdominal infections is typically 875 mg amoxicillin/125 mg clavulanic acid orally every 12 hours, or 500 mg amoxicillin/125 mg clavulanic acid orally every 8 hours for adults with normal renal function. For more severe infections, intravenous administration may be required at 1.2 g (1000 mg amoxicillin/200 mg clavulanic acid) every 6-8 hours 1. Treatment duration generally ranges from 5-14 days depending on the severity of infection and clinical response. Dosage adjustments are necessary for patients with renal impairment (creatinine clearance <30 mL/min). It is essential to take oral doses with food to enhance absorption and reduce gastrointestinal side effects. Completing the full course of antibiotics even if symptoms improve before completion is crucial. Augmentin works by combining amoxicillin, which disrupts bacterial cell wall synthesis, with clavulanic acid, which inhibits beta-lactamase enzymes that would otherwise inactivate amoxicillin. This combination is effective against many aerobic and anaerobic bacteria commonly involved in intraabdominal infections, including E. coli, Klebsiella, Bacteroides, and other mixed flora.
Some key considerations for the management of intraabdominal infections include:
- The use of antibiotics active against enteric gram-negative aerobic and facultative bacilli and enteric gram-positive streptococci 1
- Coverage for obligate anaerobic bacilli should be provided for distal small bowel, appendiceal, and colon-derived infection and for more proximal gastrointestinal perforations in the presence of obstruction or paralytic ileus 1
- For adult patients with mild-to-moderate community-acquired infection, the use of ticarcillin-clavulanate, cefoxitin, ertapenem, moxifloxacin, or tigecycline as single-agent therapy or combinations of metronidazole with cefazolin, cefuroxime, ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, levofloxacin, or ciprofloxacin are preferable to regimens with substantial anti-Pseudomonal activity 1
It is also important to note that:
- Blood cultures do not provide additional clinically relevant information for patients with community-acquired intraabdominal infection and are therefore not routinely recommended for such patients 1
- Routine aerobic and anaerobic cultures from lower-risk patients with community-acquired infection are considered optional in the individual patient but may be of value in detecting epidemiological changes in the resistance patterns of pathogens associated with community-acquired intraabdominal infection and in guiding follow-up oral therapy 1
From the Research
Intraabdominal Infection Treatment
The recommended dose of Augmentin (amoxicillin/clavulanic acid) for treating intraabdominal infections is not explicitly stated in the provided studies. However, some studies provide guidance on the treatment of intraabdominal infections:
- The study 2 recommends single-agent therapy with ticarcillin-clavulanic acid for community-acquired infections of mild to moderate severity.
- The study 3 mentions that extended-spectrum penicillin/beta-lactamase-inhibitor combinations, such as piperacillin/tazobactam, are effective in the treatment of intra-abdominal infections.
- The study 4 suggests that antimicrobial regimens effective against common gram-negative and anaerobic enteric pathogens are the mainstay of therapy for intra-abdominal infections.
Augmentin Use
While Augmentin is not specifically mentioned as a recommended treatment for intraabdominal infections in the provided studies, it is a type of extended-spectrum penicillin/beta-lactamase-inhibitor combination:
- The study 3 notes that limitations in the spectra and microbial resistance restrict the utility of some beta-lactam antibiotics in more serious infections.
- The study 2 recommends considering pharmacokinetics, mechanisms of action, microbial resistance, and safety when selecting antibiotic therapy for intra-abdominal infections.
Dosage Information
Unfortunately, the provided studies do not include specific dosage information for Augmentin in the treatment of intraabdominal infections 5, 6, 3, 2, 4.