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Antibiotics for Life-Threatening Illness

Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy and Department of Emergency Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California and LAC+USC Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, jillhara{at}usc.edu

Susan Stone, MD

Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy and Department of Emergency Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California and LAC+USC Medical Center, Los Angeles, California

Infection is a common reason for seeking treatment in the emergency department. Appropriate and timely therapy for these patients is critical. The therapy of most infectious presentations in the emergency department is empiric, with little information published about the infectious etiology and/or pathogen(s). Optimal antibiotic therapy in these patients involves the selection of the appropriate agent(s), the proper dosing regimen, timely administration, and close therapeutic monitoring. To make these decisions, health care providers must be aware of the appropriate diagnostic criteria, likely pathogens for the suspected site of infection, the latest antimicrobial products, and current antimicrobial resistance patterns and trends. Health care providers are also charged with the task of avoiding unnecessary or inappropriate antimicrobial therapy to prevent or slow further bacterial pathogen resistance. Bacterial meningitis, urinary tract infection, and community-acquired pneumonia are the most commonly seen emergency department infectious presentations.

Key Words: Emergency department • community-acquired pneumonia • urinary tract infection • bacterial meningitis

Journal of Pharmacy Practice, Vol. 18, No. 5, 336-350 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/0897190005280043


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