Antimicrobial guidelines
Important Message:
Due to extreme covid pressures in the laboratory, NUH and SFH have temporarily suspended the community mycology (fungal) testing for skin/nail specimens.
Testing is currently unavailable for the investigation of dermatophyte infections,
if treatment is required then empirical choices in the APC guideline should be used
and treatment failures can be discussed with a microbiologist.
Useful information for sending samples and recent changes to sensitivity results, interpretation and implications for antibiotic dosing is available on these NUH sites:
https://www.nuh.nhs.uk/microbiology and https://www.nuh.nhs.uk/interpreting-sensitivity-results
The full PDF Antimicrobial guideline has been removed. Please use the search function on the APC website to quickly find a certain antimicrobial or condition.
- A. Table of contents (141 kb)
- B. Principles of treatment (168 kb)
- C. Summary of updates (40 kb)
- D. Bulletin antimicrobial update July 2021 (816 kb)
- MRSA infection control alerts and empirical antibiotic treatment (191 kb)
1. Upper Respiratory Tract Infections
- Influenza (317 kb)
- Pharyngitis / Sore Throat / Tonsillitis (218 kb)
- Otitis Media (512 kb)
- Otitis Externa (276 kb)
- Acute sinusitis (269 kb)
- Chronic Bacterial Sinusitis (170 kb)
- Dental abcess (167 kb)
2. Lower respiratory Tract Infections
- Acute Cough / Bronchitis (109 kb)
- Acute Exacerbation of COPD (536 kb)
- Community Acquired Pneumonia (73 kb)
- Tuberculosis (84 kb)
- Bronchiectasis (611 kb)
- Whooping Cough (29 kb)
3. Eye Infections
- Conjunctivitis (94 kb)
- Blepharitis (17 kb)
4. Meningitis
- Meningitis (review Oct 2023) (624 kb)
5. Urinary Tract Infections
- Quick Reference Guide for the Diagnosis of UTI (89 kb)
- Lower UTI / Cystitis (238 kb)
- Complicated UTI (132 kb)
- UTI in pregnancy (110 kb)
- UTI in children (264 kb)
- Acute Pyelonephritis in Adults (29 kb)
- UTI Prophylaxis (plus patient leaflet below) (685 kb)
- UTI Prophylaxis Patient Leaflet (436 kb)
6. Gastro-Intestinal Tract Infections
- Oral Candidiasis (106 kb)
- Eradication of Helicobacter pylori (209 kb)
- Infectious Diarrhoea (107 kb)
- Clostridioides difficile (211 kb)
- Acute Diverticulitis (37 kb)
- Traveller's Diarrhoea (199 kb)
- Threadworms (92 kb)
- Amoebiasis (99 kb)
- Giardiasis (98 kb)
- Cryptosporidiosis (90 kb)
7. Genital Tract Infections
- Vaginal Candidiasis (review Sept 2023) (608 kb)
- Bacterial Vaginosis (71 kb)
- Neisseria gonorrhoeae (111 kb)
- Chlamydia trachomatis (96 kb)
- Trichomoniasis (104 kb)
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (99 kb)
- Vaginal Discharge in a Child (95 kb)
- Acute and chronic Prostatitis (201 kb)
- Epididymitis +/- Orchitis (168 kb)
8. Skin and Soft Tissue Infections
- Panton-Valentine Leukocidin (PVL) toxin producing S.aureus infection (152 kb)
- Impetigo (366 kb)
- Eczema (474 kb)
- Cellulitis (180 kb)
- Leg Ulcers and Pressure Sores (168 kb)
- Diabetic Foot Ulcers (32 kb)
- Osteomyelitis (89 kb)
- Human and Animal bite (530 kb)
- Lyme disease (156 kb)
- Boils (118 kb)
- Wound Infection (181 kb)
- MRSA (232 kb)
- Mastitis and breast abscess (109 kb)
- Acne (569 kb)
- Head lice (242 kb)
- Scabies (145 kb)
- Crab Lice (108 kb)
- Dermatophyte Infection of the Proximal Finger or Toe Nail (199 kb)
- Mould Infections of the Nail (27 kb)
- Dermatophyte Infection of the Skin (163 kb)
- Dermatophyte Infection of the Scalp (188 kb)
- Cutaneous Candidiasis (91 kb)
- Pityriasis Versicolor (106 kb)
- Varicella Zoster / Chicken Pox / Herpes Zoster / Shingles (167 kb)
- Herpes Simplex Virus (190 kb)
9. Splenectomised Patients and those with an afunctional Spleen
10. Appendices
- Appendix 1 Prescribing in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding (102 kb)
- Appendix 2 References and Guidelines (102 kb)
- Appendix 3 Consultees (124 kb)
- Appendix 4 Delayed Prescription Service (63 kb)
Antimicrobial Bulletin
Volume 1
- Antimicrobial Bulletin Issue 1 (816 kb)
- Antimicrobial Bulletin Issue 2 (974 kb)
