ABSTRACT
A useful working knowledge of antimicrobial drugs requires an insight into both microbiology and general pharmacological principles. This chapter presents a brief description of the key concepts in microbiology to facilitate the understanding of what governs the choice of antimicrobial drugs, and the underlying principles which are relied on for the treatment of infectious diseases. Treatment strategies are founded in the microorganism’s properties and sensitivity to certain antimicrobial drugs, the severity of infection, patient characteristics and the pharmacology of antimicrobial drugs. Choice of drugs is also governed by the need to prevent the development of resistant microorganisms in the population.
