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| ==Medical Therapy==
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| The treatment of [[anthrax]] infection includes [[antimicrobial]] and [[antitoxin]] agents. This treatment and postexposure [[prophylaxis]] differs from other [[bacterial infections]] because:
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| * Production of [[toxin]]
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| * Potential [[antibiotic resistance]]
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| * Frequent occurrence of [[meningitis]]
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| * Presence of latent [[spores]] must be taken into account when selecting postexposure [[prophylaxis]] or a combination of [[antibiotics]] for treatment of [[anthrax]]
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| Hospitalized patients for systemic [[anthrax]] should be immediately treated with a combination of [[broad-spectrum]] [[intravenous]] [[antimicrobial drug]] treatment pending confirmatory test results because any delay may prove fatal.
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| Because [[meningitis]] and hemorrhagic brain parenchymal [[infection]] was observed in ≤50% of cases, [[meningitis]] must be considered in all cases of systemic [[anthrax]]. Therefore [[antibiotics]] to treat possible [[meningitis]] must have good penetration of the [[central nervous system]] (CNS).
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| [[Empiric therapy]] for [[anthrax]] in which anthrax [[meningitis]] is suspected or cannot be ruled out should include ≥3 [[antibiotics]] with activity against [[Bacillus anthracis]], in which:
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| * ≥1 drug should have bactericidal activity
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| * ≥1 should be a protein synthesis inhibitor
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| * All should have good [[CNS]] penetration
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| Given the high [[mortality rate]] associated with [[meningitis]], 3 weeks of treatment for patients in whom [[meningitis]] could not be ruled out, is preferred. Because of the presence of a [[spore]] form of [[Bacillus anthracis]], [[antibiotic therapy]] should be continued for 60 days to clear germinating organisms.
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| ==Antimicrobial Treatment== | | ==Antimicrobial Treatment== |
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