Definition of Doxycycline
Doxycycline: Brand name: Vibramycin. A synthetic broad-spectrum antibiotic derived from tetracycline. Doxycycline is used for many different types of infections, including respiratory tract infections due to Hemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, or Mycoplasma pneumoniae. It is also used for the treatment of nongonococcal urethritis (due to Ureaplasma), Rocky Mountain spotted fever, typhus, chancroid, cholera, brucellosis, syphilis, and acne.
Doxycycline is also of relevance to bioterrorism since the CDC (US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention) recommends it as "the drug of choice" for anyone who may have been exposed to anthrax. Doxycycline has fewer side effects, costs less and is more available than Cipro.
Source: MedTerms™ Medical Dictionaryhttp://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=38190
Last Editorial Review: 8/1/2004
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