Antibiotic kinetic and dynamic attributes for community-acquired respiratory tract infections

Factors, including the age of the treatment population, this population's multiple comorbidities, the greater severity of their illness, and the considerable change in the pathogens in their epidemiology and resistance patterns, affect the management of community-acquired respiratory tract infections in the outpatient setting. Moreover, outcome is affected by the host, etiologic agent, and the selection of the antimicrobial treatment. The challenge of selecting appropriate antimicrobial therapy is often at the discretion of the prescriber. The nature of respiratory tract infections and the relationship of antimicrobial therapy to the resolution of infection are described.