IV or Oral? Choosing the Right Antibiotic for Diabetic Foot Infections

Dr. G explains when to use IV versus oral antibiotics for diabetic foot infections, covering severity-based choices, common empirical regimens, and why wound cultures matter.

The episode reviews pharmacokinetics, expected timelines for improvement (48–72 hours), typical durations for soft-tissue infection and osteomyelitis, and criteria to step down from IV to oral therapy.

It also highlights monitoring, common side effects and drug interactions, red flags for treatment failure, and the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to optimize outcomes.