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Principles of Anti-Infective Therapy
Book chapter

Principles of Anti-Infective Therapy

John S. Bradley, Jeffrey S. Gerber, Adam L. Hersh and Sarah S. Long
Principles and Practice of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, pp 1499-1506
2023

Abstract

The selection of optimal antibiotic therapy for presumed bacterial infection is based on the assessment of the balance of benefits and risks of specific therapy for each child. Prescribing the right antibiotic(s) early in the course of a serious infection can save a life or avoid substantial morbidity. Antibiotic therapy given to a child without bacterial infection exposes the child needlessly to antibiotic toxicities and other potential side effects, adds to the selective pressure driving antibiotic resistance in bacteria, creates unnecessary costs to the medical system, and can divert attention from evaluation and management of a child’s noninfectious condition. (See Chapter 2 for discussion of Antimicrobial Stewardship.) [1st paragraph]

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