Other
Rx only
To reduce the development of drug-resistant bacteria and maintain the effectiveness of doxycycline hyclate and other antibacterial drugs, doxycycline hyclate should be used only to treat or prevent infections that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by bacteria.
Gram-Negative Bacteria
- Neisseria gonorrhoeae
- Calymmatobacterium granulomatis
- Haemophilus ducreyi
- Haemophilus influenzae
- Yersinia pestis (formerly Pasteurella pestis)
- Francisella tularensis (formerly Pasteurella tularensis)
- Vibrio cholerae (formerly Vibrio comma)
- Bartonella bacilliformis
- Brucella species
- Escherichia coli
- Klebsiella species
- Enterobacter aerogenes
- Shigella species
- Acinetobacter species (formerly Mima species and Herellea species)
- Bacteroides species
- Streptococcus pyogenes
- Streptococcus pneumoniae
- Enterococcus group (Streptococcus faecalis and Streptococcus faecium)
- Alpha-hemolytic streptococci (viridans group)
- Rickettsiae
- Chlamydia psittaci
- Chlamydia trachomatis
- Mycoplasma pneumoniae
- Ureaplasma urealyticum
- Borrelia recurrentis
- Treponema pallidum
- Treponema pertenue
- Clostridium species
- Fusobacterium fusiforme
- Actinomyces species
- Bacillus anthracis
- Propionibacterium acnes
- Entamoeba species
- Balantidium coli
- Plasmodium falciparum
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever, typhus fever and the typhus group, Q fever, rickettsialpox, and tick fevers caused by Rickettsiae.
- Respiratory tract infections caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
- Lymphogranuloma venereum caused by Chlamydia trachomatis.
- Psittacosis (ornithosis) caused by Chlamydia psittaci.
- Trachoma caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, although the infectious agent is not always eliminated, as judged by immunofluorescence.
- Inclusion conjunctivitis caused by Chlamydia trachomatis.
- Uncomplicated urethral, endocervical, or rectal infections in adults caused by Chlamydia trachomatis.
- Nongonococcal urethritis caused by Ureaplasma urealyticum.
- Relapsing fever due to Borrelia recurrentis.
- Chancroid caused by Haemophilus ducreyi.
- Plague due to Yersinia pestis (formerly Pasteurella pestis).
- Tularemia due to Francisella tularensis (formerly Pasteurella tularensis).
- Cholera caused by Vibrio cholerae (formerly Vibrio comma).
- Campylobacter fetus infections caused by Campylobacter fetus (formerly Vibrio fetus).
- Brucellosis due to Brucella species (in conjunction with streptomycin).
- Bartonellosis due to Bartonella bacilliformis.
- Granuloma inguinale caused by Calymmatobacterium granulomatis.
- Escherichia coli.
- Enterobacter aerogenes (formerly Aerobacter aerogenes).
- Shigella species.
- Acinetobacter species (formerly Mima species and Herellea species).
- Respiratory tract infections caused by Haemophilus influenzae.
- Respiratory tract and urinary tract infections caused by Klebsiella species.
- Upper respiratory infections caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (formerly Diplococcus pneumoniae).
- Anthrax due to Bacillus anthracis, including inhalational anthrax (post-exposure): to reduce the incidence or progression of disease following exposure to aerosolized Bacillus anthracis.
- Uncomplicated gonorrhea caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
- Syphilis caused by Treponema pallidum.
- Yaws caused by Treponema pertenue.
- Listeriosis due to Listeria monocytogenes.
- Vincent's infection caused by Fusobacterium fusiforme.
- Actinomycosis caused by Actinomyces israelii.
- Infections caused by Clostridium species.
Because many strains of the following groups of gram-negative microorganisms have been shown to be resistant to tetracyclines, culture and susceptibility testing are recommended:
Gram-Positive Bacteria
Because many strains of the following groups of gram-positive microorganisms have been shown to be resistant to tetracycline, culture and susceptibility testing are recommended. Up to 44 percent of strains of Streptococcus pyogenes and 74 percent of Streptococcus faecalis have been found to be resistant to tetracycline drugs. Therefore, tetracycline should not be used for streptococcal disease unless the organism has been demonstrated to be susceptible.
Other Microorganisms
Doxycycline has been found to be active against the asexual erythrocytic forms of Plasmodium falciparum, but not against the gametocytes of P. falciparum. The precise mechanism of action of the drug is not known.
Susceptibility tests: Diffusion techniques: Quantitative methods that require measurement of zone diameters give the most precise estimate of the susceptibility of bacteria to antimicrobial agents. One such standard procedure1 which has been recommended for use with disks to test susceptibility of organisms to doxycycline uses the 30-mcg tetracycline-class disk or the 30-mcg doxycycline disk. Interpretation involves the correlation of the diameter obtained in the disk test with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for tetracycline or doxycycline, respectively.
Reports from the laboratory giving results of the standard single-disk susceptibility test with a 30-mcg tetracycline-class disk or the 30-mcg doxycycline disk should be interpreted according to the following criteria:
| Zone Diameter (mm) | Interpretation | |
|---|---|---|
| tetracycline | doxycycline | |
| ≥19 | ≥16 | Susceptible |
| 15–18 | 13–15 | Intermediate |
| ≤14 | ≤12 | Resistant |
A report of "Susceptible" indicates that the pathogen is likely to be inhibited by generally achievable blood levels. A report of "Intermediate" suggests that the organism would be susceptible if a high dosage is used or if the infection is confined to tissues and fluids in which high antimicrobial levels are attained. A report of "Resistant" indicates that achievable concentrations are unlikely to be inhibitory, and other therapy should be selected.
Standardized procedures require the use of laboratory control organisms. The 30-mcg tetracycline-class disk or the 30-mcg doxycycline disk should give the following zone diameters:
| Organism | Zone Diameter (mm) | |
|---|---|---|
| tetracycline | doxycycline | |
| E. coli ATCC 25922 | 18–25 | 18–24 |
| S. aureus ATCC 25923 | 19–28 | 23–29 |
Dilution techniques: Use a standardized dilution method2 (broth, agar, microdilution) or equivalent with tetracycline powder. The MIC values obtained should be interpreted according to the following criteria:
| MIC (mcg/mL) | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| ≤4 | Susceptible |
| 8 | Intermediate |
| ≥16 | Resistant |
As with standard diffusion techniques, dilution methods require the use of laboratory control organisms. Standard tetracycline powder should provide the following MIC values:
| Organism | MIC (mcg/mL) |
|---|---|
| E. coli ATCC 25922 | 1.0–4.0 |
| S. aureus ATCC 29213 | 0.25–1.0 |
| E. faecalis ATCC 29212 | 8–32 |
| P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 | 8–32 |
Treatment:
Doxycycline is indicated for the treatment of the following infections:
Doxycycline is also indicated for the treatment of infections caused by the following gram-negative microorganisms:
Because many strains of the following groups of microorganisms have been shown to be resistant to doxycycline, culture and susceptibility testing are recommended.
Doxycycline is indicated for treatment of infections caused by the following gram-negative microorganisms, when bacteriologic testing indicates appropriate susceptibility to the drug:
Doxycycline is indicated for treatment of infections caused by the following gram-positive microorganisms when bacteriologic testing indicates appropriate susceptibility to the drug:
When penicillin is contraindicated, doxycycline is an alternative drug in the treatment of the following infections:
In acute intestinal amebiasis, doxycycline may be a useful adjunct to amebicides.
In severe acne, doxycycline may be useful adjunctive therapy.
Prophylaxis:
Doxycycline is indicated for the prophylaxis of malaria due to Plasmodium falciparum in short-term travelers (<4 months) to areas with chloroquine and/or pyrimethamine-sulfadoxine resistant strains. (See DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION section and Information for Patients subsection of the PRECAUTIONS section.)
Pregnancy: Teratogenic Effects. Pregnancy Category D:
There are no adequate and well-controlled studies on the use of doxycycline in pregnant women. The vast majority of reported experience with doxycycline during human pregnancy is short-term, first trimester exposure. There are no human data available to assess the effects of long-term therapy of doxycycline in pregnant women, such as that proposed for treatment of anthrax exposure. An expert review of published data on experiences with doxycycline use during pregnancy by TERIS – the Teratogen Information System – concluded that therapeutic doses during pregnancy are unlikely to pose a substantial teratogenic risk (the quantity and quality of data were assessed as limited to fair), but the data are insufficient to state that there is no riska. A case-control study (18,515 mothers of infants with congenital anomalies and 32,804 mothers of infants with no congenital anomalies) shows a weak but marginally statistically significant association with total malformations and use of doxycycline anytime during pregnancy. Sixty-three (0.19%) of the controls and fifty-six (0.30%) of the cases were treated with doxycycline. This association was not seen when the analysis was confined to maternal treatment during the period of organogenesis (i.e., in the second and third months of gestation) with the exception of a marginal relationship with neural tube defect based on only two exposed casesb.
A small prospective study of 81 pregnancies describes 43 pregnant women treated for 10 days with doxycycline during early first trimester. All mothers reported their exposed infants were normal at 1 year of agec.
Manufactured by:
MUTUAL PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY, INC.
Philadelphia, PA 19124 USA
Rev 03, December 2011