On July 10, 2025 Pfizer issued a voluntary recall of certain lots of long-acting intramuscular (IM) benzathine penicillin G (Bicillin L-A) due to particulates identified during visual inspection. The CDC has issued a "Dear Colleague Letter" to alert healthcare providers about the recall and provide advice on how to manage the potentially limited supply of the drug for treatment of syphilis, which has been increasing in the US.2 Benzathine penicillin G is also used for treatment of group A streptococcal pharyngitis and prophylaxis of rheumatic fever.

Since 2007, antimicrobial prophylaxis for dental procedures has been recommended to prevent viridans group streptococcal infective endocarditis only for patients at highest risk of an adverse outcome. Limiting use to such patients does not appear to have led to an increased incidence of infective endocarditis or increased mortality due to infective endocarditis.

Most respiratory tract infections are caused by viruses. Bacterial respiratory tract infections are usually treated empirically with antibiotic therapy that targets the most probable causative pathogens. Recommended antibiotic regimens for outpatient treatment of some common respiratory tract infections are listed in Table 1 for adults and Table 2 for children.