From the Research
Treatment of Mastitis
- Mastitis is typically treated with a combination of methods, including changing breastfeeding technique, frequent emptying of the breast, and optimizing breastfeeding technique 1.
- Antibiotics may be necessary in some cases, particularly when the infection is caused by Staphylococcus aureus, and those effective against this organism are preferred 1, 2.
- The use of antibiotics for mastitis is not always necessary, and treatment protocols should be pathogen-specific, with no antimicrobial therapy recommended for many culture-negative or gram-negative cases 2, 3.
Effectiveness of Antibiotic Therapy
- There is insufficient evidence to confirm or refute the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy for the treatment of lactational mastitis, and high-quality, double-blinded randomized clinical trials are needed to determine whether antibiotics should be used in this common postpartum condition 4, 5.
- Some studies suggest that antibiotic therapy may result in faster clearance of symptoms, but the study designs were problematic, and more research is needed to confirm these findings 4, 5.
Considerations for Antibiotic Use
- The decision to use antibiotics for mastitis should be based on the severity of the infection, the presence of certain pathogens, and the ability of the affected individual to mount a successful immune response 2, 3.
- In some cases, such as severe clinical mastitis, antibiotic therapy is warranted, while in other cases, such as mild-to-moderate gram-negative clinical mastitis, antibiotic therapy may not be necessary 2, 3.