ABSTRACT
The worldwide development of bacterial resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics and the increasing incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in hospitalized and ambulatory patients have required the reassessment and use of older antibiotics. Although the aminoglycoside antibiotics and vancomycin have been available for over 50 years they remain important therapeutic agents in hospitalized patients. Even before much was understood about antibiotic pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, investigators studied antibiotic serum concentrations with the purpose of optimizing efficacy and minimizing toxicity. Since introduction of the aminoglycosides and vancomycin much has been learned to change our practices of how to dose and monitor these antibiotics.
