Tigecycline is a broad-spectrum glycylcycline antibiotic administered intravenously. It is strictly used in adults to treat severe, complicated infections—such as pneumonia and stomach or skin infections—when alternative antibiotics are unsuitable. It stops bacterial growth by preventing essential protein synthesis.
Primary Uses
Doctors reserve tigecycline for critical or multidrug-resistant bacterial infections, including those caused by MRSA and VRE. Approved clinical indications include:
- Complicated Skin and Skin Structure Infections (cSSTI): Treating deep soft tissue infections, severe wounds, and abscesses.
- Complicated Intra-Abdominal Infections (cIAI): Treating conditions like peritonitis or complex appendicitis.
- Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia (CABP): Treating severe lung infections acquired outside of a hospital setting.
