Antibiotics for the allergist: part 1

To review antibiotic use and selection for disorders commonly seen in allergy practice.

MEDLINE searches were performed cross-referencing the keywords antibiotic, antimicrobial, management, and treatment with multiple disorders commonly seen in allergy practice. References of the chosen articles were also examined.

Articles were selected based on their relevance to the subject matter.

A large body of research is available that is relevant to both conventional and novel uses of antibiotics. The use of antibiotics is in question for some disorders, whereas novel approaches to therapy with macrolide antibiotics are areas of active investigation. Meanwhile, patterns of microbial resistance continue to evolve.

For decades, antibiotics have been traditional first-line treatments for many disorders. Recently, this paradigm appears to be shifting as periods of observation come into favor and nonbacterial causes of inflammation are under greater scrutiny. Nonetheless, appropriate antibiotic selection often remains a key element in the treatment of these disorders. Knowledge of the relevant microbiology is an inherent requirement in selecting antibiotic therapies and necessitates awareness of current trends in bacterial resistance.