Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

The Usefulness of in Vitro Sensitivity Tests in Antibiotic Therapy

The Usefulness of in Vitro Sensitivity Tests in Antibiotic Therapy With the advent of antimicrobial agents twenty-five years ago, the course of many infections has been profoundly altered since these agents have often enabled the normal defense mechanism of the body to be by­ passed. However, the enthusiasm and widespread use that followed the introduction of each new drug was gradually tempered by the knowledge that these drugs, by virtue of their ability to influence the host-parasite relationship, could exert harmful as well as beneficial effects. Further, it became obvious that certain criteria were required for the intelligent use of these antimicrobial agents. The rational use of antibacterial drugs should be based upon two prin­ ciples. First, the specific identity of the infecting organism must be de­ termined. Second, a test must be devised which will provide an accurate estimate that the antibiotic will be effective in vivo. An obvious solution to the latter problem is to assess the activity of a drug in experimental infec­ tions in animals. However, the response of these infections to antibiotics has been a notoriously unreliable guide to the treatment of human disease. In addition, this method is expensive, cumbersome, and does not lend itself readily LO use on a large scale. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Annual Review of Medicine Annual Reviews

The Usefulness of in Vitro Sensitivity Tests in Antibiotic Therapy

Petersdorf, R G; Plorde, J J
Annual Review of Medicine , Volume 14 (1) – Feb 1, 1963
Download PDF
16 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/annual-reviews/the-usefulness-of-in-vitro-sensitivity-tests-in-antibiotic-therapy-PcjfQ5IGxO

References

References for this paper are not available at this time. We will be adding them shortly, thank you for your patience.

Publisher
Annual Reviews
Copyright
Copyright 1963 Annual Reviews. All rights reserved
Subject
Review Articles
ISSN
0066-4219
eISSN
1545-326X
DOI
10.1146/annurev.me.14.020163.000353
pmid
13942743
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

With the advent of antimicrobial agents twenty-five years ago, the course of many infections has been profoundly altered since these agents have often enabled the normal defense mechanism of the body to be by­ passed. However, the enthusiasm and widespread use that followed the introduction of each new drug was gradually tempered by the knowledge that these drugs, by virtue of their ability to influence the host-parasite relationship, could exert harmful as well as beneficial effects. Further, it became obvious that certain criteria were required for the intelligent use of these antimicrobial agents. The rational use of antibacterial drugs should be based upon two prin­ ciples. First, the specific identity of the infecting organism must be de­ termined. Second, a test must be devised which will provide an accurate estimate that the antibiotic will be effective in vivo. An obvious solution to the latter problem is to assess the activity of a drug in experimental infec­ tions in animals. However, the response of these infections to antibiotics has been a notoriously unreliable guide to the treatment of human disease. In addition, this method is expensive, cumbersome, and does not lend itself readily LO use on a large scale.

Journal

Annual Review of Medicine – Annual Reviews

Published: Feb 1, 1963

There are no references for this article.