Table 3.

Most frequently prescribed antimicrobials and indications for prophylaxis, by body system^a

All antimicrobials [systemic and topical] (n = 4739)
Rank	Urinary tract (54.3%, n = 2575)			Skin, soft tissue or mucosal (18.1%, n = 858)			Respiratory tract (7.3%, n = 348)
	Antimicrobial/indication	No.	%	Antimicrobial/indication	No.	%	Antimicrobial/indication	No.	%
1	Cefalexin	1035	40.2	Clotrimazole	371	43.2	Doxycycline	173	49.7
2	Methenamine hippurate	879	34.1	Cefalexin	117	13.6	Cefalexin	31	8.9
3	Trimethoprim	239	9.3	Doxycycline	55	6.4	Azithromycin	25	7.2
1	Cystitis	1681	65.3	Other skin, soft tissue or mucosal	473	55.1	Infective exacerbation of COPD	121	34.8
2	Other—urinary	397	15.4	Wound infection: non-surgical	96	11.2	Pneumonia	84	24.1
3	Asymptomatic bacteriuria	272	10.6	Tinea	83	9.7	Other—respiratory tract	78	22.4

Systemic antimicrobials only (n = 3923)
Rank	Urinary tract (65.5%, n = 2571)			Respiratory tract (8.9%, n = 348)			Skin, soft tissue or mucosal (7.3%, n = 288)
	Antimicrobial/indication	No.	%	Antimicrobial/indication	No.	%	Antimicrobial/indication	No.	%
1	Cefalexin	1035	40.2	Doxycycline	173	49.7	Cefalexin	117	40.6
2	Methenamine hippurate	879	34.1	Cefalexin	31	8.9	Doxycycline	55	19.1
3	Trimethoprim	239	9.3	Azithromycin	25	7.2	Amoxicillin—clavulanic acid	17	5.9
1	Cystitis	1681	65.4	Infective exacerbation of COPD	121	34.8	Other—skin, soft tissue or mucosal	76	26.4
2	Other—urinary tract	394	15.3	Pneumonia	84	24.1	Cellulitis	64	22.2
3	Asymptomatic bacteriuria	272	10.6	Other—respiratory tract	78	22.4	Wound infection: non-surgical	63	21.9

COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

^a132 unknown indications for which an associated body system could not be assigned excluded from total numbers

Not detailed in the table, 8.2% and 9.7% of all and systemic-only prophylactic antimicrobials, respectively, were prescribed for medical prophylaxis indications