Bacterial Folliculitis

Apply 2% ointment to the affected area three times daily x 7 to 14 days, with review at 3 to 5 days if there is no response

A small amount three times daily for 5 to 10 days, with review at 5 days if there is no clinical response (Egyptian National Drug Formulary, mupirocin monograph). A topical dose is not weight-based.

Egyptian Drug Authority - National Guidance of Rational Antimicrobial Use in the Management of Skin and Soft Tissue Infection, EDREX:GU.CAP.Care.015 version 1, 11/2025 for the indication - verbatim, the folliculitis row of its treatment table: "Folliculitis: Topical antibiotics (e.g., mupirocin, retapamulin)." Dose from the same document's dosing appendix - verbatim: "Mupirocin: 2% ointment applied 3 times per day." Duration from Egyptian National Drug Formulary - Antimicrobial 2023, mupirocin monograph - verbatim: "Apply to affected area 2 to 3 times daily, typically for 7 to 14 days depending on severity and clinical response; if no response after 3 to 5 days, re-evaluate treatment."

The treatment Egypt's own national guidance gives for folliculitis, and the one the international article names first for disease extensive enough to treat at all. Most simple staphylococcal folliculitis settles on its own within a few days.

250 mg orally (or by intramuscular injection) four times daily; the dose may be doubled for a severe infection. - As directed (formulary gives no fixed course length for this dose; a short course, e.g. 5-7 days, is typical clinical practice for more extensive or recurrent disease).

Age-banded rather than weight-based by mouth: 1 month to 1 year 62.5 to 125 mg, 2 to 9 years 125 to 250 mg, 10 years and older 250 to 500 mg, all four times daily (Egyptian National Drug Formulary, flucloxacillin monograph, quoting BNFC for beta-lactamase-producing staphylococcal infection including impetigo and cellulitis). Cefalexin carries a weight-based dose if one is preferred.

Egyptian National Drug Formulary - antimicrobial-2023.pdf, Flucloxacillin monograph (chapter PDF p361)

Bacterial folliculitis is usually a staphylococcal skin/soft-tissue infection, matching flucloxacillin's formulary indication; an oral course is used for more extensive or recurrent disease beyond what a topical antibiotic would cover.

500 mg orally every 6 hours - The formulary states no course length for skin infection - review at 5 to 7 days rather than repeating a prescription

25-50 mg/kg/day [child max 2000 mg]

(25 to 50 mg/kg/day divided every 6 or 12 hours, maximum 2,000 mg/day (Egyptian National Drug Formulary, cephalexin monograph, general dosing for mild to moderate infection).)

Alternatives, both oral antistaphylococcal cover for folliculitis that is extensive, deeper, or has not settled on the topical antibiotic. Cefalexin is put first for two reasons: the folliculitis source names it by name, and it can be bought plain in Egypt, where every flucloxacillin product on the market is a combination with amoxicillin or ampicillin. Cefalexin also carries the weight-based paediatric dose.

Folliculitis - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf (NBK547754) - disease-level clinical article (bacterial-folliculitis-full.txt) for the indication - verbatim: "Should these prove ineffective or should the patient present with deeper folliculitis such as furunculosis and carbunculosis or more extensive involvement of the skin, then oral antibiotics such as cephalexin and dicloxacillin are options." The article gives no dose. Dose from Egyptian National Drug Formulary - Antimicrobial 2023, cephalexin monograph - verbatim indication "Skin and skin structure infections: Treatment of skin and skin structure infections caused by S. aureus and/or S. pyogenes", and dosing: "Usual adult dosage range: Oral: 250 to 1,000 mg every 6 hours or 500 mg every 12 hours (maximum: 4 g/day)".

The oral step when a topical antibiotic is not enough or the infection has gone deeper. It is the source's first-named oral option and the one obtainable as a single medicine in Egypt.

1 to 2 double-strength tablets every 12 to 24 hours

6-12 mg/kg/day [child max 320 mg]

(From 2 months of age: 6 to 12 mg/kg a day of the trimethoprim component, split every 12 hours, up to 160 mg of trimethoprim per dose. Not for infants under 2 months.)

Egyptian National Drug Formulary - Antimicrobial 2023 (sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim monograph) - verbatim: "General dosing guidelines: Oral: 1 to 2 double-strength tablets every 12 to 24 hours."

Gram-negative folliculitis, the form that follows a long course of antibiotics for acne, does not respond to the anti-staphylococcal agents listed above. Co-trimoxazole is the article's first-line oral choice for it and is cheap and everywhere in Egypt.