We spend a lot of time obsessing over the finer details of critical care: which fluid is best? which vasopressor is best? will another liter of fluid help? These details are important, but for a septic patient something more important than any of these details is choosing the right antibiotic(s). In septic shock, source control and correct antibiotic selection are probably the two variables most strongly related to survival. This chapter attempts to lay out salient properties of antibiotics commonly used in critically ill patients. It’s intended largely as a reference, for future exploration of various infectious diseases.

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