approach to chemotherapeutic agents

General approach to chemotherapeutic agents:- 

➡️Suspected infection ->Culture of suspected sites & Beginning of emperic therapy for most likely pathogen simultaneously ->Gram stain->Identification of pathogen->Susceptibility test->Switch to Definitive therapy for patient specific pathogen according to susceptibility. 

➡️Characteristics of Definitive chemotherapeutic agents:-

1)Safe

2)Effective

3)Narrow spectrum

4)Cost effective 

➡️Importance of Culture & Sensitivity test:-

1)After culture & sensitivity test,chemotherapeutic agent must be directed accordingly.As no need to cover other pathogens other than cultured pathogen.

2)It will help to choice cost effective chemotherapeutic agents. 

3)Overuse of emperic chemotherapeutic agents (Broad spectrum antibiotics) can emerge antibiotic resistance and next infection will be harder to treat.

4)Excessive broad spectrum antibiotics use can lead to unneeded toxicities & Superinfection. 

➡️Importance of Determination of antimicrobial susceptibility:- 

"After a pathogen is cultured, its susceptibility to specific antibiotics 

serves as a guide in selection of antimicrobial therapy. Some pathogens, 

such as Streptococcus pyogenes and Neisseria meningitidis, usually 

have predictable susceptibility patterns to certain antibiotics. In contrast, 

most gram-negative bacilli, enterococci, and staphylococcal species often show unpredictable susceptibility patterns and require susceptibility testing to determine appropriate antimicrobial therapy". ----

Source :FB group