Pharmacodynamic approaches to optimizing beta-lactam therapy.

Given their popularity and favorable safety profile, it is no wonder that there has been considerable interest in developing strategies to most effectively use beta-lactam therapy. Dating back to the first days of penicillin, it was noted that there was an observed benefit to prolonging the infusion time or dosing more frequently. Since that time, considerable research has been performed to help understand and justify these dosing strategies. This article discusses the pharmacology behind these dosing strategies and presents some of the contemporary literature describing the perceived and observed clinical benefits.