Basic concepts for the rational use of antibiotics in otorhinolaryngology

Abstract

Rational use of antibiotics is of major importance in current clinical practice. It is fundamental that physicians know the clinical manifestations of each infectious disease and its differential diagnoses, their epidemiologic characteristics, local bacterial preva- lence and resistance patterns, as well as the pharmacology of the different antibiotics, to make the best therapeutic decision. When faced to a patient, we always have to keep in mind that not every inflammatory disease is infectious, not every infectious disease is bacterial, and that the latter not always has to be treated with antibiotics. Upper aerodigestive infections are among the most frequent infectious diseases and involve several different medical specialties. The objective of this review is to give the basic pharmacologic and microbiologic concepts for an appropriate use of the different antimicrobials, and to apply these concepts in the treatment of frequent and relevant otorhinolaryngological infections.