Summary of antimicrobial guidance
Summary of antimicrobial prescribing guidance - managing common infections
Version 1.2, September 2024
UKHSA, NICE and other collaborators are discussing options for continued production of the Summary of Antimicrobial Prescribing Guidance (previously hosted by BNF Publications). In the interim we have produced a list of the conditions in the table linked to available national guidance.
We and have also included a condensed version of the table summary that includes infections covered by NICE antimicrobial prescribing guidance.
Please refer to the user guide and principles of treatment when using the antimicrobial prescribing guidance summaries.
Fluoroquinolone antibiotics: In January 2024, the MHRA published a Drug Safety Update on fluoroquinolone antibiotics. These must now only be prescribed when other commonly recommended antibiotics are inappropriate. Stakeholders are assessing the impact of this warning on recommendations in the relevant guidance.
Please contact the TARGET team at TARGETantibiotics@UKHSA.gov.uk for additional information if required.
- Acne vulgaris – NICE
- Acute cough - NICE
- Acute otitis media - NICE
- Acute otitis externa – NICE/CKS
- Acute sore throat - NICE
- Bacterial vaginosis – BASHH
- Blepharitis – NICE/CKS
- Boils, carbuncles, and staphylococcal carriage - NICE/CKS
- Bronchiectasis (non-cystic fibrosis), acute exacerbation - NICE
- Candida – oral – NICE/CKS
- Cellulitis and erysipelas - NICE
- Chlamydia - BASHH
- Chickenpox – NICE/CKS
- Clostridioides difficile infection - NICE
- Conjunctivitis – NICE/CKS
- COPD (acute exacerbation) - NICE
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) - NICE
- Diabetic foot infection - NICE
- Diarrhoea – prevention and advice for travellers – NICE/CKS
- Diverticular disease - NICE
- Eczema - NICE
- Epididymitis - BASHH
- Fungal skin infection: body and groin – NICE/CKS
- Fungal skin infection: nail – NICE/CKS
- Gastroenteritis - NICE/CKS
- Gonorrhoea - BASHH
- Helicobacter pylori - NICE/BNF
- Herpes – genital - BASHH
- Herpes simplex – oral – NICE/CKS
- Human and animal bites - NICE
- Impetigo - NICE
- Influenza - UKHSA/CKS
- Insect bites and stings - NICE
- Leg ulcer - NICE
- Mastitis – NICE/CKS
- Pelvic inflammatory disease – BASHH
- Pneumonia (community-acquired) - NICE
- Pneumonia (hospital-acquired) - NICE
- Prostatitis (acute) - NICE
- PVL-SA - UKHSA (PHE)
- Pyelonephritis (acute) - NICE
- Scabies - BASHH
- Scarlet fever - NICE/CKS
- Shingles – NICE/CKS
- Sinusitis - NICE
- Suspected meningococcal disease – NICE/CKS
- Threadworm – NICE/CKS
- Tick bites (Lyme disease) - NICE
- Trichomoniasis - BASHH
- UTI (lower) - NICE
- UTI (recurrent) - NICE
- UTI (catheter-associated) - NICE
- Vaginal candidiasis - BASHH