Johns Hopkins HIV Guide
Clindamycin
INDICATIONS
FDA
FDA
- Skin and soft tissue infections caused by streptococci, staphylococci and anaerobes
- Pelvic infections (endometritis, nongonococcal tubo-ovarian abscess, pelvic cellulitis, and post-surgical vaginal cuff infections)
- Intra-abdominal infections such as peritonitis and intra-abdominal abscesses caused by anaerobes (note: IDSA guideline no longer recommends clindamycin due to increased B. fragilis resistance rate)
- Streptococcus pneumoniae (empyema, pneumonitis, and lung abscess)
- Septicemia (no longer recommended)
- Acne vulgaris (topical gel)
- Bacterial vaginosis in non-pregnant women and pregnant women during the second and third trimesters (intra-vaginal administration)
NON-FDA APPROVED USES
NON-FDA APPROVED USES
- Alternative treatment of PCP in combination with primaquine
- Alternative therapy of CNS toxoplasmosis in combination with pyrimethamine and leucovorin
- MRSA skin and soft tissue infections
- Necrotizing fasciitis, including Fournier gangrene, may be considered in combination with other agents to decrease toxin production caused by MRSA, S. pyogenes, C. perfringens
- Oral abscess in patients with PCN allergies
- Acute bacterial sinusitis
- Intrapartum prophylaxis for Group B strep; alternative to beta-lactam only if susceptibility testing is done
- Bacterial vaginosis
- Actinomycosis
- Osteomyelitis
- Acute bacterial sinusitis
- Non-severe malaria as part of the alternative regimen, especially in pregnancy
- Diphtheria
- Alternative therapy for babesiosis in combination with quinine
There's more to see -- the rest of this topic is available only to subscribers.
Last updated: December 14, 2024
Citation
Kathryn Dzintars, Pharm.D., BCPS, and Edina Avdic. "Clindamycin." Johns Hopkins HIV Guide, The Johns Hopkins University, 2024. Johns Hopkins Guides, www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_HIV_Guide/545037/all/Clindamycin.
Kathryn Dzintars, Pharm.D., BCPS, Avdic E. Clindamycin. Johns Hopkins HIV Guide. The Johns Hopkins University; 2024. https://www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_HIV_Guide/545037/all/Clindamycin. Accessed September 27, 2025.
Kathryn Dzintars, Pharm.D., BCPS, & Avdic, E. (2024). Clindamycin. In Johns Hopkins HIV Guide. The Johns Hopkins University. https://www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_HIV_Guide/545037/all/Clindamycin
Kathryn Dzintars, Pharm.D., BCPS, Avdic E. Clindamycin [Internet]. In: Johns Hopkins HIV Guide. The Johns Hopkins University; 2024. [cited 2025 September 27]. Available from: https://www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_HIV_Guide/545037/all/Clindamycin.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - ELEC
T1 - Clindamycin
ID - 545037
A1 - ,,
AU - Avdic,Edina,Pharm.D.
Y1 - 2024/12/14/
BT - Johns Hopkins HIV Guide
UR - https://www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_HIV_Guide/545037/all/Clindamycin
PB - The Johns Hopkins University
DB - Johns Hopkins Guides
DP - Unbound Medicine
ER -
