General Principles of Antimicrobial Therapy

Abstract

Antimicrobials are drugs used to treat infectious diseases. Principles of antimicrobial therapy are similar to cancer therapy. Together, treatment of infection and cancer is known as chemotherapy. Infectious diseases are curable contrary to cancer therapy. Antimicrobial therapy can be definitive, empirical, or prophylactic. Initially, single drug is sufficient to produce clinical cure, however, due to emergence of resistance even combination therapies are unreliable in curing the infection in current time. Main focus of antimicrobial therapy is selective targeted therapy in order to avoid toxicity to the host and to avoid emergence of resistance. This is achieved by understanding the PK/PD parameters of antimicrobials such as bactericidal and static nature, spectrum of activity, host factors, and biology of the organism. Choosing appropriate antibiotic according to the type of therapy and organism for adequate duration is important in combating resistance. Understanding the types and factors for resistance will help in developing strategies for prevention and treatment of resistant microbes.