For Lyme disease in patients older than 8 years, the preferred initial therapy is:

Study for the PANCE Infectious Disease Test. Dive into flashcards and multiple choice questions, each equipped with hints and detailed explanations. Prepare thoroughly for your exam!

Multiple Choice

For Lyme disease in patients older than 8 years, the preferred initial therapy is:

Doxycycline given by mouth is the best first-line treatment for Lyme disease in patients older than eight years because it treats Borrelia burgdorferi effectively, is easy to administer as an outpatient, and is well tolerated. A typical course is about 10 days for erythema migrans, with longer durations (often 14–21 days) used for other early manifestations. Doxycycline also has the practical advantage of covering possible tick-borne co-infections like Anaplasma. Amoxicillin and cefuroxime are acceptable alternatives if doxycycline cannot be used (for example, during pregnancy or in younger children), but they are not the preferred option in someone over eight. Ceftriaxone is reserved for more severe disease, such as neurologic involvement or late disseminated Lyme, because it requires IV administration.

Doxycycline given by mouth is the best first-line treatment for Lyme disease in patients older than eight years because it treats Borrelia burgdorferi effectively, is easy to administer as an outpatient, and is well tolerated. A typical course is about 10 days for erythema migrans, with longer durations (often 14–21 days) used for other early manifestations. Doxycycline also has the practical advantage of covering possible tick-borne co-infections like Anaplasma.

Amoxicillin and cefuroxime are acceptable alternatives if doxycycline cannot be used (for example, during pregnancy or in younger children), but they are not the preferred option in someone over eight. Ceftriaxone is reserved for more severe disease, such as neurologic involvement or late disseminated Lyme, because it requires IV administration.

More practice questions