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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Sep 1.
Published in final edited form as: Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2015 Sep;29(3):429–464. doi: 10.1016/j.idc.2015.05.007

Table 2.

Systemic antimicrobial agents for the treatment of Staphylococcus aureus SSTI

Antimicrobial Agent Recommended Pediatric Dose Range (Oral) Comments
Clindamycin 30–40 mg/kg/day divided q6–8h

  • Excellent bioavailability

  • Noxious smell and taste of oral suspension

  • Often effective to instruct families to open capsules and sprinkle onto pudding/ice cream

  • Inducible and constitutive resistance is highly variable between geographic regions (>20% in some areas)
Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole 10–20 mg/kg/day divided q12h

  • Very low resistance rates

  • Clinical data confirm effectiveness

  • May have reduced activity against S. pyogenes, though data are not clear
Doxycycline 2.2 mg/kg/day divided q12h

  • Very low resistance rates

  • Inappropriate for children <8 years of age

  • Photosensitivity
Linezolid 30 mg/kg/day divided q8h

  • High susceptibility rates

  • Excellent bioavailability

  • Expensive, compared to other agents
Fluoroquinolones (varies by individual quinolone)

  • Excellent bioavailability

  • Overly broad-spectrum

  • Resistance can occur quickly while on therapy due to mutations in DNA gyrase
Rifampin 10 mg/kg/day

  • Excellent bioavailability and tissue penetration

  • Can never be given as single agent as resistance quickly emerges