Understanding Antibiotics: Medical Perspectives

Antibiotics are a medical marvel, which have been developed to treat and prevent infectious diseases. Initially, an accidental discovery from natural products, they are now produced synthetically as well. Antimicrobials can broadly be classified in three ways i.e. based on the chemical structure, on their spectrum of action, and on the biochemical pathway they influence. They are used widely in the human healthcare sector as well as agriculture and veterinary sciences. In hospitals, they are one of the most frequently prescribed drugs across all divisions from outpatient departments to intensive care units. They are used in many instances as prophylactics. Selection of antibiotics according to the patient profile is a refined study, which involves walking the line between good therapeutic outcomes and harmful side-effects. Misuse and immature cessation of therapy both contribute to the development of antimicrobial resistance and the prevalence of superinfections, which is thought to be the next global pandemic.