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Which is more diffi cult: learning a large body of information or applying the newly
learned information? Although the answer is debatable, it is clear that health care
professionals must do both. Most health care training programs consist of an initial
phase of classroom lectures and small group sessions in which the intricacies of cranial nerves, the Krebs cycle, and renal physiology are mastered. Following this phase,
trainees suddenly are immersed in the real world of patients who present with complaints of a cough, a painful lower back, or a fever. As an infectious disease subspecialist, I have often seen this culture shock expressed as the blank look of a medical student
when asked, “So, what antibiotic should we start this patient on?” Obviously, a basic
understanding of the principles of pharmacology and microbiology is insuffi cient for
most trainees when suddenly faced with the complexities of an infected patient.
This book is meant to be a guide to antibiotics not only for students studying to be
physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacologists, or medical technologists, but will also prove useful for residents, fellows, and practicing clinicians. It is
designed to serve as a bridge between the book knowledge acquired during the initial
phase of training and the refl exive prescribing habits of experienced practitioners. Just
as the initial bewildering complexities of electrocardiograms and chest radiographs disappear when the fi rst principles underlying these tests are appreciated and understood,
so too do the diffi culties of antibiotic selection. By supplying the rationale behind antibiotic selection for many common bacterial pathogens and infectious disease presentations, much of the memorization (and magic and mystery) that usually accompanies
proper prescribing of antibiotics is eliminated. Where memorization is unavoidable,
learning aids are presented that will make the process as painless as possible.
This book can be easily read and comprehended in 1 or 2 weeks by a busy student
or practitioner. As a result, it is not a comprehensive guide to the antibiotic metropolis
but merely an outline of the major thoroughfares of antibiotic therapy so that readers
can more easily fi ll in the residential streets and alleys as they gain experience.
In terms
of the war analogy used throughout the book, the emphasis is on strategy, not tactics.
Thus, only commonly used antibiotics are mentioned, and some oversimplifi cation
and omissions are unavoidable. It is hoped that the reader will be able to master the
major concepts and rules so that with subsequent clinical exposure and practice, the
nuances and exceptions to these rules may be assimilated.
The scope of this volume is limited to antibacterial agents, arguably the most complex and frequently encountered antibiotics that must be mastered by health care practitioners. Future volumes will address antiviral, antifungal, and antiparasitic agents.
The second edition of this book has been updated and expanded to include newer
antibiotics that have become available during the past 3 years. In addition, several older antibiotics that have enjoyed renewed popularity (e.g., colistin and nitrofurantoin)
are now also discussed. Emerging resistant organisms such as community-acquired
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemaseproducing bacteria have been incorporated. Likewise, sections have been updated to
refl ect recent changes in treatment guidelines, such as those pertaining to Clostridium
diffi cile colitis and urinary tract infections.
viii Preface
After completing this book, it is hoped that the reader will view antibiotics as
valuable friends in the fi ght against infectious diseases and not as incomprehensible
foes blocking his or her progress toward clinical competency.
In addition, the reader
will obtain a foundation that can be built upon throughout his or her career, as new
antibiotics become available.
I am indebted to many people who have contributed in large and small ways to
this book but would especially like to acknowledge a few individuals. Many thanks to
Mike Postelnick, Kristin Darin, and Marc Scheetz for advice and for reviewing portions of this book; Andy Rabin for providing quotes from the medieval literature; and
Joe Welch for invaluable advice. Thank you to Kathleen Scogna, Michael Brown, and
Steve Boehm at Lippincott Williams & Wilkins for their assistance, patience, and advice throughout the process of putting together the second edition of this book. I am
grateful to the intelligent and inquisitive medical students at Northwestern University
who asked the many questions that inspired this book. And fi nally, I wish to thank my
wife, Anne, who made this whole project possible
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