Choice of antibiotics, pharmacokinetics, and dose adjustments in acute and chronic renal failure.

Abstract

A multitude of antimicrobial agents have become available over the past two decades. Appropriate use of these drugs demands not only an understanding of the antimicrobial spectrum of the agent but of the necessary dose adjustments because of renal or hepatic impairment. The use of computer-assisted pharmacokinetic modeling for dosing potentially toxic drugs such as aminoglycosides and vancomycin should be utilized whenever possible.