WHO Antibiotics Portal

1st generation cephalosporins

Antibiotic

Cefalexin

Indications

Second choice
Acute pharyngitis Bacterial cellulitis, erysipelas and lymphangitis Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute exacerbation

Antibiotic

Cefazolin

Indications

First choice
Medical or surgical procedure associated with injury or harm in therapeutic use metronidazole Medical or surgical procedure associated with injury or harm in therapeutic use

Second choice
Osteomyelitis or osteitis Bacterial infection of joint
Aminoglycosides

Antibiotic

Amikacin

Indications

First choice
Neutropenia (high-risk) cefotaxime Acute pyelonephritis (severe) cefotaxime Inflammatory and other diseases of prostate (severe) ceftriaxone Acute pyelonephritis (severe) ceftriaxone Inflammatory and other diseases of prostate (severe)

Second choice
cloxacillin Sepsis without septic shock

Antibiotic

Gentamicin

Indications

First choice
amoxicillin Bacterial pneumonia (Severe) [children] amoxicillin Sepsis without septic shock amoxicillin Sepsis without septic shock ampicillin Bacterial pneumonia (Severe) [children] ampicillin Sepsis without septic shock ampicillin Acute malnutrition in infants, children or adolescents (complicated) [children] ampicillin Sepsis without septic shock benzylpenicillin Acute malnutrition in infants, children or adolescents (complicated) [children] benzylpenicillin Sepsis without septic shock benzylpenicillin Sepsis without septic shock benzylpenicillin Bacterial pneumonia (Severe) [children]

Second choice
Medical or surgical procedure associated with injury or harm in therapeutic use Gonococcal infection
Amphenicols

Antibiotic

Chloramphenicol

Indications

Second choice
Bacterial meningitis
Imidazoles

Antibiotic

Metronidazole

Indications

First choice
Trichomoniasis Enterocolitis due to Clostridium difficile cefazolin Medical or surgical procedure associated with injury or harm in therapeutic use cefotaxime Peritonitis (severe) cefotaxime Peritoneal abscess (mild-moderate) cefotaxime Peritonitis (mild-moderate) cefotaxime Peritoneal abscess (severe) ceftriaxone Peritoneal abscess (severe) ceftriaxone Peritonitis (severe) ceftriaxone Peritonitis (mild-moderate) ceftriaxone Peritoneal abscess (mild-moderate)

Second choice
ciprofloxacin Peritonitis (mild-moderate) ciprofloxacin Peritoneal abscess (mild-moderate)
Lincosamides

Antibiotic

Clindamycin

Indications

Second choice
Osteomyelitis or osteitis Bacterial infection of joint
Nitrofurans

Antibiotic

Nitrofurantoin

Indications

First choice
Infectious cystitis
Others

Antibiotic

Cycloserine

Indications

Antibiotic

Ethambutol

Indications

Antibiotic

Ethambutol + isoniazid + pyrazinamide + rifampicin

Indications

Antibiotic

Ethambutol + isoniazid + rifampicin

Indications

Antibiotic

Ethionamide

Indications

Antibiotic

Isoniazid

Indications

Antibiotic

Isoniazid + pyrazinamide + rifampicin

Indications

Antibiotic

Isoniazid + rifampicin

Indications

Antibiotic

Nystatin

Indications

Antibiotic

Pyrazinamide

Indications

Antibiotic

Rifapentine

Indications

Antibiotic

Spectinomycin

Indications

Second choice
Gonococcal infection

Antibiotic

Sulfamethoxazole + trimethoprim

Indications

First choice
Infectious cystitis

Second choice
Gastroenteritis and colitis without specification of infectious agent
Penicillins

Antibiotic

Amoxicillin

Indications

First choice
Bacterial pneumonia (Mild to moderate) Periapical abscess without sinus Acute malnutrition in infants, children or adolescents (uncomplicated) [children] Acute malnutrition in infants, children or adolescents (complicated) [children] Infectious cystitis Acute sinusitis Acute otitis media Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute exacerbation Acute pharyngitis gentamicin Bacterial pneumonia (Severe) [children] gentamicin Sepsis without septic shock gentamicin Sepsis without septic shock

Second choice
Bacterial meningitis

Antibiotic

Amoxicillin + clavulanic acid

Indications

First choice
Neutropenia (low-risk) Bacterial pneumonia (Severe) [children] Other specified pneumonia Peritoneal abscess (mild-moderate) Peritonitis (mild-moderate) Acute sinusitis Infectious cystitis Bacterial cellulitis, erysipelas and lymphangitis Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute exacerbation

Second choice
Medical or surgical procedure associated with injury or harm in therapeutic use Bacterial pneumonia (Mild to moderate) Acute otitis media Bacterial infection of joint Osteomyelitis or osteitis clarithromycin Bacterial pneumonia (Severe)

Antibiotic

Ampicillin

Indications

First choice
gentamicin Acute malnutrition in infants, children or adolescents (complicated) [children] gentamicin Bacterial pneumonia (Severe) [children] gentamicin Sepsis without septic shock gentamicin Sepsis without septic shock

Second choice
Bacterial meningitis

Antibiotic

Benzathine benzylpenicillin

Indications

First choice
Syphilis Congenital syphilis [children]

Antibiotic

Benzylpenicillin

Indications

First choice
Syphilis Congenital syphilis [children] gentamicin Acute malnutrition in infants, children or adolescents (complicated) [children] gentamicin Bacterial pneumonia (Severe) [children] gentamicin Sepsis without septic shock gentamicin Sepsis without septic shock

Second choice
Bacterial meningitis

Antibiotic

Cloxacillin

Indications

First choice
Bacterial cellulitis, erysipelas and lymphangitis Bacterial infection of joint Osteomyelitis or osteitis

Second choice
amikacin Sepsis without septic shock

Antibiotic

Phenoxymethylpenicillin

Indications

First choice
Periapical abscess without sinus Bacterial pneumonia (Mild to moderate) Acute pharyngitis

Antibiotic

Procaine benzylpenicillin

Indications

First choice
Congenital syphilis [children]

Second choice
Syphilis
Tetracyclines

Antibiotic

Doxycycline

Indications

First choice
Chlamydia trachomatis Cholera

Second choice
Bacterial pneumonia (Mild to moderate) Cholera [children] Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute exacerbation

Antibiotic

Tetracycline

Indications
2nd generation cephalosporins

Antibiotic

Cefuroxime
WATCH group

Indications

Second choice
Surgical site infection
3rd generation cephalosporins (with or without beta-lactamase inhibitor)

Antibiotic

Cefixime
WATCH group

Indications

Second choice
Gastroenteritis and colitis without specification of infectious agent azithromycin Gonococcal infection azithromycin Gonococcal infection

Antibiotic

Cefotaxime
WATCH group

Indications

First choice
Bacterial pneumonia (Severe) [children] Other specified pneumonia Bacterial meningitis amikacin Acute pyelonephritis (severe) amikacin Inflammatory and other diseases of prostate (severe) clarithromycin Bacterial pneumonia (Severe) metronidazole Peritonitis (severe) metronidazole Peritoneal abscess (severe) metronidazole Peritoneal abscess (mild-moderate) metronidazole Peritonitis (mild-moderate)

Second choice
Sepsis without septic shock Inflammatory and other diseases of prostate (mild to moderate) Acute pyelonephritis (mild to moderate) Osteomyelitis or osteitis Bacterial infection of joint

Antibiotic

Ceftazidime
WATCH group

Indications

Antibiotic

Ceftriaxone
WATCH group

Indications

First choice
Typhoid fever Paratyphoid Fever Bacterial meningitis Other specified pneumonia Bacterial pneumonia (Severe) [children] amikacin Inflammatory and other diseases of prostate (severe) amikacin Acute pyelonephritis (severe) azithromycin Gonococcal infection azithromycin Gonococcal infection clarithromycin Bacterial pneumonia (Severe) metronidazole Peritonitis (mild-moderate) metronidazole Peritonitis (severe) metronidazole Peritoneal abscess (severe) metronidazole Peritoneal abscess (mild-moderate)

Second choice
Acute pyelonephritis (mild to moderate) Inflammatory and other diseases of prostate (mild to moderate) Bacterial infection of joint Sepsis without septic shock Osteomyelitis or osteitis Gastroenteritis and colitis without specification of infectious agent
Aminoglycosides

Antibiotic

Streptomycin
WATCH group

Indications
Beta lactam - beta lactamase inhibitor (anti-pseudomonal)

Antibiotic

Piperacillin + tazobactam
WATCH group

Indications

First choice
Peritoneal abscess (severe) Peritonitis (severe) Neutropenia (high-risk) Other specified pneumonia
Carbapenems

Antibiotic

Meropenem
WATCH group

Indications

Second choice
Peritoneal abscess (severe) Neonatal meningitis Neutropenia (high-risk) Peritonitis (severe)
Fluoroquinolones

Antibiotic

Ciprofloxacin
WATCH group

Indications

First choice
Typhoid fever Paratyphoid Fever Inflammatory and other diseases of prostate (mild to moderate) Acute pyelonephritis (mild to moderate) Neutropenia (low-risk) Gastroenteritis and colitis without specification of infectious agent

Second choice
Cholera metronidazole Peritoneal abscess (mild-moderate) metronidazole Peritonitis (mild-moderate)

Antibiotic

Delafloxacin
WATCH group

Indications

Antibiotic

Levofloxacin
WATCH group

Indications

Antibiotic

Moxifloxacin
WATCH group

Indications

Antibiotic

Ofloxacin
WATCH group

Indications
Glycopeptides

Antibiotic

Vancomycin
WATCH group

Indications

Second choice
Neutropenia (high-risk) Enterocolitis due to Clostridium difficile
Macrolides

Antibiotic

Azithromycin
WATCH group

Indications

First choice
Chlamydia trachomatis Paratyphoid Fever Cholera Typhoid fever ceftriaxone Gonococcal infection ceftriaxone Gonococcal infection

Second choice
Gastroenteritis and colitis without specification of infectious agent cefixime Gonococcal infection cefixime Gonococcal infection

Antibiotic

Clarithromycin
WATCH group

Indications

First choice
cefotaxime Bacterial pneumonia (Severe) ceftriaxone Bacterial pneumonia (Severe)

Second choice
Acute pharyngitis amoxicillin + clavulanic acid Bacterial pneumonia (Severe)

Antibiotic

Erythromycin
WATCH group

Indications

First choice
Chlamydial conjunctivitis Gonococcal infection of eye
Rifamycins

Antibiotic

Rifabutin
WATCH group

Indications

Antibiotic

Rifampicin
WATCH group

Indications
3rd generation cephalosporin (with or without beta-lactamase inhibitor)

Antibiotic

Ceftazidime + avibactam
RESERVE group

Indications
5th generation cephalosporins

Antibiotic

Ceftolozane + tazobactam
RESERVE group

Indications
Aminoglycosides

Antibiotic

Plazomicin
RESERVE group

Indications
Carbapenems

Antibiotic

Meropenem + vaborbactam
RESERVE group

Indications
Oxazolidinones

Antibiotic

Linezolid
RESERVE group

Indications
Phosphonics

Antibiotic

Fosfomycin
RESERVE group

Indications
Polymyxins

Antibiotic

Colistin
RESERVE group

Indications

Antibiotic

Polymyxin b
RESERVE group

Indications
Tetracyclines

Antibiotic

Eravacycline
RESERVE group

Indications

Antibiotic

Omadacycline
RESERVE group

Indications