INTRODUCTION
The terms antimicrobial and antibiotic refer to various therapeutic agents, including antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and antiparasitic drugs. Many factors should be considered before prescribing any of these pharmaceutical agents. Some factors are related to the etiologic agents and their behavior, while others are patient-related and depend on individual characteristics.
AIM
This review aims to identify the critical aspects of antimicrobial drug therapy, such as appropriate timing, duration, regimens, interpretation of antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) results, patient-related factors, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
An electronic search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, using the following keywords: (((antimicrobial) OR (antibiotic)) AND ((treatment) OR (therapy)) AND (principles) AND ((antimicrobial) AND (resistance))). After evaluation and analysis of the obtained data, 33 articles were included in this study.
RESULTS
The first step in antimicrobial therapy is selecting an appropriate drug and regimen. The diagnosis is determined by careful analysis of the site of infection, the patient’s general and immune status, and the establishment of the microbial agent. The timing of the antimicrobial therapy depends on the urgency. In high-risk patients, empiric treatment should start immediately after collecting specimens for culture and sensitivity testing. Patient-related factors that should be considered when selecting antimicrobial therapy are hepatic and renal function, age, genetic susceptibility, allergies, pregnancy, lactation, and prior antibiotic use.
CONCLUSION
Antimicrobial therapy should be based on selecting appropriate pharmaceutical agents and doses, route of administration, timing, and duration of the treatment. Numerous etiological and patient-related factors should be considered during the treatment. The growing risk of AMR requires more cautious behavior and strict following of the recommendations for good medical practice.
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