Antibiotic use at a pediatric age.

For infections in infants and children, the successful antibiotic treatment depends primarily on rapid diagnosis of the disease, identification of pathogenic microorganisms, and appropriate application of specialized pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic knowledge of antibiotics in children. In infants and children, the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs may differ considerably in comparison with adults. Because of known toxicity, certain drugs such as chloramphenicol in high doses, the sulfonamides, and tetracycline should not be used in neonates. In this article, we describe these peculiarities of children and discuss the proper use of antibiotics in children.