Appropriate Antibiotic Selection and Use for Intensive Care Unit Patients, Part I: Rationale for Antibiotic Choices

The aim of this review is to help clinicians optimize treatment of infections and reduce adverse events. With that goal in mind, we discuss the basis for the selection of antibiotics for the surgical patient in the intensive care unit (ICU), the mechanism of antibiotic action, and resistance of pathogens to antibiotic therapy—factors that may affect antibiotic levels, the rationales for dosing, and the role of antimicrobial stewardship programs. The evaluation and management of infections in critically ill patients are uniquely different from those of the general patient population. Age, medical comorbidities, alterations in anatomy, changes in vascular supply, insertion of vascular conduits, and orthopedic hardware are some factors that increase the risk of infection and influence antibiotic choice in the surgical ICU patient.  Key words: antibiotics, antibiotic resistance, antibiotic stewardship, intensive care unit