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Guidelines
Oral Antimicrobials

Oral Antimicrobials

Recommendations

Oral Antimicrobial Therapy is relatively contraindicated if:

  • Life-threatening infections or septic shock or serious systemic infections when therapeutic effect needed in <1 hour
  • NPO without NG/PEG tube
  • Impaired GI absorption or continuous NG suctioning
  • No oral antibiotic equivalent
  • Hemodynamic instability

In the absence of contraindications to oral antibiotic administration, when using highly bioavailable antimicrobials there is no advantage to using antibiotics IV that are available PO as blood/target tissue concentrations are the same

Highly Bioavailable Oral Antimicrobials

Please consider the following:

  • Bioavailability: 90%
  • Peak Blood Level: 16 mg/L
  • Bioavailability: 90%
  • Peak Blood Level: 11.6 mg/L
  • Bioavailability: 99%
  • Peak Blood Level: 36 mg/L
  • Bioavailability: 99%
  • Peak Blood Level: 8.6 mg/L
  • Bioavailability: 70%
  • Peak Blood Level: 8 mg/L
  • Bioavailability: 99%
  • Peak Blood Level: 68 mg/L (SMX)
  • Bioavailability: 95%
  • Peak Blood Level: 3.5 mg/L
  • Bioavailability: 100%
  • Peak Blood Level: 20 mg/L
  • Bioavailability: 95%
  • Peak Blood Level: 3.6 mg/L
  • Bioavailability: 90%
  • Peak Blood Level: 5 mg/L
  • Bioavailability: 100%
  • Peak Blood Level: 12 mg/L