Appropriate antibiotic therapy in critically ill patients

Severe sepsis and septic shock are leading causes of morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients in and outside Intensive Care Units. Early hemodynamic and respiratory support, along with prompt appropriate antimicrobial therapy and source control of the infectious process are cornerstone management strategies to improve survival. Antimicrobial therapy should be as much appropriate as possible, since inappropriate initial antimicrobial therapy is associated with poorer outcome in different clinical settings. When prescribing antibiotic therapy, drug's characteristics, along with dosing, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamic properties related to the drug and to the clinical scenario should be well kept in mind in order to achieve maximal success.