Antimicrobials in Clinical Practice : An Overview

Antimicrobials are the major contribution of the current century to medical sciences. It includes both synthetic as well as naturally obtained agents that attenuate pathogens. Antibiotics (a term commonly used for antibacterials) are substances produced by fermentation of microorganism which selectively suppress growth or kills microbes in very low concentration. The golden era of antibiotic began after the discovery of Penicillin. Antimicrobial agents are either broad spectrum, extended spectrum or narrow spectrum regarding their activities. The susceptibility of a microbe to an antimicrobial agent is best predicted by minimum inhibitory concentration. Resistance to antimicrobials is the greater problem, which may be natural or acquired. In spite of being lifesaving in many critical conditions, antimicrobials are highly misused and over prescribed in the current scenario of clinical medicine.