Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) data on antimicrobial agents enable physicians to optimize their use in clinical practice. Neonates exhibit a large inter-individual variability in antibiotic levels due to immaturity and maturational changes in the first weeks of life. This variability explains the large therapeutic margins needed to ensure an optimal efficacy of antibiotics. These pharmacokinetic characteristics have to be taken into account when treating neonatal sepsis, along with pharmacodynamics targets for each antibiotic and notably minimal inhibitory concentration for usual causes of neonatal bacterial infections (group B streptococcus and Escherichia coli). This paper presents PK/PD data of antimicrobial agents mainly used in neonatology (ß-lactamines and aminoglycosides) to help physicians to rationalize their use of antibiotics.
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