[Doxycycline--the forgotten antibiotic].
BACKGROUND
Doxycycline is an broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent, it remains an inexpensive alternative for the treatment of community-acquired respiratory infections and urinary tract infections. Despite these clinical data the use of doxycycline has decreased during the last years.
Adverse effects and resistance to therapy are infrequent and not different to fluoroquinolones and macrolide antibiotics. Gastrointestinal and phototoxic side effects are of importance. After oral administration 75% will be absorbed and largely eliminated by the hepatic and intestinal way. Contraindications are severe liver dysfunction and treatment in childhood.
Bacterial resistance to doxycycline has a low incidence in Germany. A therapeutic success can be expected in respiratory and urinary tract infections in about 80%. Doxycycline is the drug of choice for treating infections caused by Rickettsia, Borrelia, Ehrlichia. It shows good activity against Plasmodium falciparum as one part in a combination therapy. Daily costs of therapy are low, in oral administration DM 0.80 per day, in i.v. administration DM 22,-per day.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite competition from new antibiotics, doxycycline can retain an important place in the treatment of many infectious diseases.
Ziegler
T
T
Klinik für Innere Medizin I, Sophien- und Hufeland-Klinikum Weimar. t.ziegler@klinikum-weimar.de
Winkler
C
C
Wege
K
K
Schmechel
H
H
D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests
D004318:Doxycycline