Duration of treatment for Lyme borreliosis: time for a critical reappraisal.
Over time the recommended duration of antibiotic therapy for patients with erythema migrans has increased. This change in prescribing practice is not evidence-based. The presumptions that post-treatment subjective complaints, which occur in a minority of patients, may be reduced by increasing the duration of initial therapy or ameliorated by a repeat course of parenteral or oral antimicrobials, have not been supported by recent clinical trials. Recommendations on duration of treatment of early Lyme borreliosis deserve critical reappraisal.
Wormser
Gary P
GP
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine of New York Medical College, Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, New York, USA. Gary_Wormser@NYMC.edu
Nowakowski
John
J
Nadelman
Robert B
RB
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D015787:Erythema Chronicum Migrans / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents