Antimicrobial pharmacodynamic properties

Drug-specific considerations in antimicrobial selection include the spectrum of activity, effects on nontargeted microbial flora, appropriate dose, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, adverse-effect and drug-interaction profile, and cost. 

Integration of both pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of an agent is important when choosing antimicrobial therapy to ensure efficacy and prevent resistance. Antibiotics may demonstrate concentration-dependent (aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones) or time-depen-dent (/l-1 acta ms) bactericidal effects. 

Although not performed routinely during the clinical man- agement of patients with infections, data from certain laboratory tests (e.g., minimal bactericidal concentration tests, timed-kill tests, post-antibiotic-effect tests, and antimicrobial combination testing) are important for the clinician to understand because they help to determine an antimicrobial s pharmacodynamic properties. 

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