General Principles of Antimicrobial Therapy

• Published in: Mayo Clinic proceedings Vol. 86; no. 2; pp. 156 - 167
• Main Authors: Leekha, Surbhi, MBBS, Terrell, Christine L., MD, Edson, Randall S., MD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Rochester, MN Elsevier Inc 01.02.2011; Mayo Foundation; Elsevier, Inc; Elsevier Limited; Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Subjects: Analysis; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Anti-infective agents; Antibiotic Prophylaxis; Bacterial Infections - diagnosis; Bacterial Infections - drug therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Drug Monitoring; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Drug therapy; Drug Therapy, Combination; General aspects; Guideline Adherence; Health aspects; Humans; Infection; Internal Medicine; Medical sciences; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Prescription writing; Symposium on Antimicrobial Therapy; United States; antimicrobial susceptibility testing; extended-spectrum β-lactamase; glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase; AST; G6PD; MIC; methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; UTI; minimum inhibitory concentration; OPAT; HIV; CSF; cerebrospinal fluid; MRSA; ESBL; human immunodeficiency virus; outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy; urinary tract infection; Medicine; Treatment; Antimicrobial agent; Recommendation

Antimicrobial agents are some of the most widely, and often injudiciously, used therapeutic drugs worldwide. Important considerations when prescribing antimicrobial therapy include obtaining an accurate diagnosis of infection; understanding the difference between empiric and definitive therapy; iden...