Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic aspects of antibiotic use in high-risk populations.

The study of pharmacokinetics includes the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination of drugs. The pharmacologic effect that a medication has on the body is known as pharmacodynamics. With antimicrobials, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters become especially important because of the association between host drug concentrations, microorganism eradication, and resistance. This article focuses on the pharmacokinetic changes that can occur with antimicrobials when they are used in patients at high risk of infections and how they influence pharmacodynamic effects. The populations described here include patients with obesity and diabetes mellitus, renal or hepatic failure, chronic lung disease, severe burns, and long-term prosthetic devices and the elderly.