What is the treatment for mastitis?

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Last updated: February 16, 2025View editorial policy

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From the Guidelines

Treatment of Mastitis Mastitis is typically treated with a 10- to 14-day course of antibiotics, such as dicloxacillin 500mg orally every 6 hours or cephalexin 500mg orally every 6 hours 1. For patients with penicillin allergy, erythromycin 250-500mg orally every 6 hours or clindamycin 300mg orally every 6 hours may be used as alternatives.

  • Supportive Measures: Applying warm compresses, resting, and continuing to breastfeed or express milk can help alleviate symptoms and promote healing 1.
  • Severe Cases: Hospitalization and intravenous antibiotics such as oxacillin or nafcillin may be necessary in severe cases.
  • Breastfeeding: Mothers with mastitis are encouraged to continue breastfeeding, as regular feeding or expression of milk is an adjunct to other treatment 1.
  • Antibiotics: Antibiotics may be indicated, and approximately 10% of mastitis cases progress to breast abscesses, which require drainage 1. It is essential to note that the provided evidence from studies 1, 1, and 1 is not directly related to the treatment of mastitis, but rather focuses on systemic mastocytosis and its management. Therefore, these studies do not influence the treatment approach for mastitis.

From the Research

Treatment for Mastitis

There are no research papers to assist in answering this question as the provided studies focus on antibiotic treatment durations for various infections, including bloodstream infections, gram-negative bacteremia, and complicated urinary tract infections, but do not specifically address the treatment for mastitis.

  • The studies 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 discuss the optimal duration of antibiotic therapy for different types of infections, but none of them mention mastitis.
  • Mastitis is an inflammation of the breast tissue, often caused by infection, and its treatment typically involves antibiotics, supportive care, and sometimes drainage of any abscesses that may have formed.
  • Without specific studies on mastitis, it is not possible to provide evidence-based information on its treatment based on the provided research papers.

References

Guideline

Guideline Directed Topic Overview

Dr.Oracle Medical Advisory Board & Editors, 2025

Research

Seven Versus 14 Days of Antibiotic Therapy for Uncomplicated Gram-negative Bacteremia: A Noninferiority Randomized Controlled Trial.

Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, 2019

Research

Defining the Optimal Duration of Therapy for Hospitalized Patients With Complicated Urinary Tract Infections and Associated Bacteremia.

Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, 2023

Professional Medical Disclaimer

This information is intended for healthcare professionals. Any medical decision-making should rely on clinical judgment and independently verified information. The content provided herein does not replace professional discretion and should be considered supplementary to established clinical guidelines. Healthcare providers should verify all information against primary literature and current practice standards before application in patient care. Dr.Oracle assumes no liability for clinical decisions based on this content.

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