Pulmonary Abscess / Anaerobic Pulmonary Infection
Antibiotics that work: Clindamycin is the standard treatment of an anaerobic lung infection
Clindamycin 600 mg IV q8h followed by Clindamycin 150-300 mg PO qid.
Ampicillin plus sulbactam is as effective as Clindamycin with or without a cephalosporin in the treatment of aspiration pneumonia and lung abscess.
Don’t use Metronizadole alone. It’s not recommended. The reason Metronizadole doesn’t work is likely because these infections are generally polymicrobial, not simply anaerobic. If you have to use it, you must combine it with another antibiotic like a penicillin.
Important Links
- Antibiotic Coverage, including coverage for anaerobes.
References
Arch Intern Med. 1981 Oct;141(11):1424-7. Metronidazole vs clindamycin treatment of anaerobic pulmonary infection. Failure of metronidazole therapy. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7025777
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/299425-treatment#d8