Bugs & Drugs Study Cheat Sheet
When You See…
MSSA
MRSA
Enterococci
Strep. pyogenes or
Strep. agalactiae
Strep. pneumoniae or
Viridans group Streptococci
Listeria monocytogenes
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
E. coli, Klebsiella
ESBL-producer /
Drug-Resistant GNR
Carbapenem resistant GNR
NDM producer
Stenotrophomonas
Salmonella typhi
Candida albicans
Candida glabrata
Candida krusei
Candida auris
Aspergillus
Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV)
Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV)
Influenza
SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)
Anaerobes
Clostridioides difficile
(formerly Clostridium difficile)
Atypical organisms
Cryptosporidium parvum
Cystoisospora sp. (Isospora)
Leishmania sp.
Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme dz)
Treponema pallidum (Syphilis)
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Mycobacterium avium (MAC)
Pneumocystis Pneumonia (PCP)
Toxoplasma gondii
ABBREVIATIONS: Amox/clav = amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, CAZ/AVI = ceftazidime/avibactam, ESBL = extended-spectrum beta-lactamase, GNR = Gram negative
rod, IV = intravenous, MERO/VAB = meropenem/vaborbactam, MRSA = methicillin-resistant S. aureus, MSSA =methicillin-susceptible S. aureus, NDM = New Delhi
metallo-beta-lactamase, PIP/TAZ = piperacillin/tazobactam, PO = oral, SMX/TMP = sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, VRE = vancomycin resistant Enterococci
Last updated January 2023
Consider Using…
GRAM POSITIVES
Oral: cephalexin, cefadroxil, dicloxacillin, amox/clav;
IV: cefazolin, oxacillin, nafcillin
Oral: SMX/TMP, doxycycline, clindamycin, linezolid, tedizolid,
omadacycline, delafloxacin; IV: vancomycin, daptomycin,
telavancin, dalbavancin, oritavancin, ceftaroline, tigecycline,
eravacycline; all oral options also come as IV
Ampicillin, then vancomycin; if VRE: linezolid, daptomycin,
oritavancin, tigecycline, omadacycline, eravacycline,
nitrofurantoin (cystitis only), Fosfomycin (cystitis only)
Penicillin, amoxicillin, clindamycin
Ceftriaxone, levofloxacin, amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic
acid (beware penicillin & macrolide resistance)
Ampicillin
GRAM NEGATIVES
Oral: ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, delafloxacin;
IV: pip/taz, ceftazidime, ceftazidime-avibactam,
cefepime, ceftolozane-tazobactam, cefiderocol,
imipenem-cilastatin +/- relebactam, meropenem,
aztreonam, aminoglycosides, polymyxins
Oral: cephalexin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid,
SMX/TMP, nitrofurantoin (cystitis only), fosfomycin,
ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, delafloxacin
IV: ceftriaxone, ampicillin-sulbactam (beware resistance),
cefepime, piperacillin-tazobactam, carbapenems
Carbapenems, ceftolozane-tazobactam, ceftazidime-
avibactam, meropenem-vaborbactam, imipenem-
cilastatin-relebactam, cefiderocol, polymyxins,
aminoglycosides, fosfomycin, nitrofurantoin (cystitis only),
tigecycline, omadacycline, eravacycline
ESBL-producer drug list minus carbapenem alone
Aztreonam + (MERO/VAB or CAZ/AVI), cefiderocol
SMX/TMP, levofloxacin, minocycline
Fluoroquinolone, SMX/TMP, ceftriaxone
FUNGI
Fluconazole
Echinocandin, but can use fluconazole if susceptible
Micafungin, anidulafungin, or caspofungin
Micafungin, anidulafungin, or caspofungin
Voriconazole
VIRUSES
Valganciclovir, letermovir, ganciclovir, foscarnet, maribavir
PO: acyclovir, famciclovir, valacyclovir; IV: acyclovir
Valacyclovir (PO), famciclovir (PO), acyclovir (IV/PO)
PO: oseltamivir, baloxavir marboxil; IV: peramivir
PO: nirmaltrelvir/ritonavir, molnupiravir,
IV: Remdesivir, monoclonal antibodies
MISCELLANEOUS
Oral: metronidazole, clindamycin, amoxicillin-
clavulanic acid, moxifloxacin
IV: ampicillin-sulbactam, piperacillin-tazobactam,
cefoxitin, cefotetan, ertapenem, tigecycline
Oral vancomycin or fidaxomicin
! Metronidazole no longer preferred
Prophylaxis: bezlotoxumab, fecal microbiota
Macrolides, fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines, lefamulin
Nitazoxanide
SMX/TMP
Amphotericin B
Doxycycline
Penicillin
Rifampin + isoniazid + pyrazinamide + pyridoxine
+ ethambutol – “RIPPE”
Clarithromycin+ ethambutol (tx), azithromycin (px)
SMX/TMP (tx or px)
Pyrimethamine +sulfadiazine +leucovorin (tx); SMX/TMP (px)
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