Antibacterial agents in pediatrics

Antimicrobial agents are probably the most commonly prescribed class of the rapeutic agents, especially in pediatrics. They account for up to 50% of fo rmulary expense in pediatric hospitals, and they account for more than 40% of outpatient prescriptions in children.(41) It is appropriate and timely t hat the present issue of Infectious Disease Clinics of North America again focuses on antimicrobial agents. Other articles in this issue provide state-of-the-art discussion of specifi c agents. This article focuses on aspects that apply specifically to childr en. The first section describes principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmaco dynamics that are unique to children, and the second section characterizes the clinical application of selected antibacterial agents to infectious dis eases in children.