Antibiotics: mechanisms of action.

Medical practice rests on the foundation of science. Clinicians are constantly making practical decisions and dealing with immediate situations that demand solutions. Time should be taken to focus on those scientific principles that underlie our diagnostic and therapeutic maneuvers. This section of Pediatrics in Review presents selected topics that are relevant to practice from the areas of physiology, pharmacology, biochemistry, and other disciplines; clarification of these will augment the pediatrician's understanding of clinical procedures.