Table 2.

Combination treatment and duration from American Thoracic Society/Infectious Disease Society of America and British Thoracic Society guidance

NTM Species	Antibiotic Regimen	Comments
Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex	ATS/IDSA: macrolide (clarithromycin or azithromycin), rifampicin/rifabutin, and ethambutol plus streptomycin or amikacin in advanced/extensive disease	Duration not definitively established (18–24 mo)
	BTS: rifampicin and ethambutol, ± isoniazid
Mycobacterium kansasii	ATS/IDSA: isoniazid, rifampicin, and ethambutol	Treat for 12 mo after sputum cultures negative (often total of 18–24 mo)
	BTS: rifampicin and ethambutol only
Rapidly growing mycobacteria	Combination treatment dependent on the species isolated and the site of infection	Minimum 6 mo treatment

Definition of abbreviations: ATS/IDSA = American Thoracic Society/Infectious Disease Society of America; BTS = British Thoracic Society; NTM = nontuberculous mycobacteria.

Data from References 2 and 3.