Table 6. Proposed treatment regimens for rapidly growing NTM.
| Pathogen | Recommended regimen | Second-line or additional agents |
|---|---|---|
| M. abscessus | Azithromycin 250–500 mg once daily; plus amikacin 15 mg/kg daily, imipenem 1 g twice daily, or cefoxitin 70 mg/kg 3 times a day; or two parenteral agents | Clarithromycin 500 mg twice daily |
| Linezolid 600 mg once or twice daily | ||
| Tigecycline 100 mg loading dose then 50 mg once or twice daily | ||
| M. chelonae | Two drugs: Azithromycin 250–500 mg daily; plus amikacin 15 mg/kg once daily, or tobramycin 5 mg/kg once daily, linezolid 600 mg once or twice daily, tigecycline 100 mg loading dose then 50 mg once or twice daily, or imipenem 1 g twice daily | According to sensibility testing |
| M. fortuitum | Two drugs: amikacin 15 mg/kg daily; ciprofloxacin 500 mg twice daily or other quinolones; trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole 960 mg twice daily; cefoxitin 70 mg/kg 3 times a day; clarithromycin 500 mg twice daily | Azithromycin 250–500 mg daily |
| Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole 960 mg twice daily | ||
| Doxycycline or minocycline 100 mg twice daily | ||
| Imipenem 1 g twice daily | ||
| Tigecycline 100 mg loading dose then 50 mg once or twice daily | ||
| Moxifloxacin 400 mg daily |
NTM, non-tuberculous mycobacteria.