General Concepts of Pharmacodynamics for Anti-infective Agents

Abstract

Pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) have become an important field in the evaluation and application of antimicrobials in all its aspects. PK/PD is used in developing drugs, optimizing therapy, setting clinical breakpoints, and preventing emergence of resistance. This chapter provides a general overview of PK/PD, the major factors that play a role, in vitro–in vivo relationships, pitfalls, and the application to clinical practice.