Antibiotic Selector by Infection Nigeria · Kenya · Ghana · India
First-line and second-line antibiotic recommendations by infection type. Country-specific guidelines. Resistance patterns considered. Offline-capable.
💊 30 Infections📍 4 Countries✈️ Works Offline📋 WHO / FMOH / MOH 2024
For qualified healthcare professionals only — reference selector, not an autoprescriber. Antibiotic choices must be guided by local susceptibility patterns, patient allergy history, renal/hepatic function, pregnancy status, and clinical judgement. Allergy/renal/hepatic warnings here do not replace a drug-specific prescribing check. Always confirm with your institution's antibiogram and current resistance data. Not a substitute for specialist advice.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a critical and growing threat across sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana face high rates of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing organisms, fluoroquinolone-resistant enterobacteria, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in community and hospital settings. Rational antibiotic prescribing — anchored in WHO AWaRe classification, local resistance data, and national treatment protocols — is essential to preserving antibiotic effectiveness for future generations. This tool provides empirical guidance for common infections and must always be used alongside your facility's local antibiogram where available. Empirical therapy should be de-escalated once culture and sensitivity results are known.
AWaRe categorises antibiotics as Access (first-line, low resistance risk, widely available), Watch (higher resistance risk — use with caution, restrict to specific indications), or Reserve (last resort — only for documented extensively drug-resistant infections). This tool flags AWaRe category for every recommendation. Ideally, 60% of all antibiotic use should be from the Access group.
Fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin), third-generation cephalosporins (ceftriaxone), and metronidazole are the most commonly over-prescribed antibiotics in Nigerian hospitals, often without indication. These are WHO Watch-group antibiotics that should be reserved for specific indications.
No. This tool provides empirical guidance based on published regional resistance patterns from Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana. Always defer to your facility's local antibiogram when available. Empirical therapy should be reviewed and de-escalated within 48–72 hours once culture results are available.
De-escalation should be attempted as soon as culture and sensitivity results are available — typically at 48–72 hours. The WHO AWaRe framework actively promotes de-escalation from Watch or Reserve antibiotics to Access antibiotics once susceptibility is confirmed. Continued broad-spectrum therapy without review increases resistance risk and is a core target of antimicrobial stewardship programmes in Nigeria and across Africa.
For community-acquired pneumonia requiring augmented cover, amoxicillin-clavulanate is dosed at 25–45 mg/kg/day of the amoxicillin component, divided twice daily, using the 7:1 formulation. In children under 3 months, specialist advice should be sought before use. Duration is typically 5–7 days. BNFc dosing guidance applies; always adjust for local resistance patterns and check for penicillin allergy before prescribing.
For anti-tuberculosis drug dosing by weight band, use the dedicated TB Dosing Calculator.
📋 Guideline basis: WHO AWaRe 2023 · FMOH Nigeria 2017 · BNFc 2024 · Last reviewed: January 2025 · Next review due: January 2026 · Disclaimer · Report an error
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