From the Guidelines
No, clindamycin is not considered a macrolide. Clindamycin belongs to a different class of antibiotics called lincosamides, as stated in the study published in the journal Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery 1. While clindamycin and macrolides share some similarities in their mechanism of action, they have different chemical structures and some differences in their spectrum of activity. Some key points about clindamycin include:
- It acts by binding the 50S ribosomal subunit of susceptible bacteria, thereby suppressing protein synthesis 1
- It has a concentration-dependent mechanism of antimicrobial activity
- It is used clinically for the treatment of susceptible gram-positive aerobes and anaerobes as well as many gram-negative anaerobes
- It is not active against H influenzae and M catarrhalis, as noted in the study 1 Clindamycin is particularly effective against anaerobic bacteria and some gram-positive organisms, including certain strains of Staphylococcus and Streptococcus. The typical adult dosage ranges from 150-450 mg orally every 6 hours, or 600-900 mg IV every 8 hours for more severe infections, though specific dosing depends on the infection being treated.
From the Research
Classification of Clindamycin
- Clindamycin is not considered a macrolide antibiotic, but rather a lincosamide antibiotic 2, 3.
- Lincosamides and macrolides are both classes of antibiotics that are used to treat bacterial infections, but they have different mechanisms of action and spectra of activity 2, 3.
- Clindamycin is often used as an alternative to macrolides, such as erythromycin, for the treatment of certain infections 4, 2.
Mechanism of Action
- Clindamycin, like other lincosamides, binds to the 50S ribosomal subunit and inhibits protein synthesis by blocking the exit of nascent peptides from the ribosome 3.
- Macrolides, on the other hand, also bind to the 50S ribosomal subunit, but have a slightly different mechanism of action and are often used to treat different types of infections 5, 3.
Spectrum of Activity
- Clindamycin has a broad spectrum of activity against gram-positive cocci and anaerobes, making it a useful agent for the treatment of skin, soft tissue, and deep infections of the foot 4.
- Macrolides, such as erythromycin and azithromycin, also have a broad spectrum of activity, but are often used to treat different types of infections, such as community-acquired pneumonia and chlamydia 5.