Infectious Diseases – Drugs Spectrum tab

The tab includes two lists:

• The spectrum for all pathogens known to be susceptible to a selected drug
• The susceptibility of the selected drug to various diseases.

A list of pathogens will appear in the right-hand column of the Drugs section when a drug is selected in the left-hand window.  The following icons may be found next to the name of certain pathogens:

• A  next to the pathogen name indicates that the drug in question is considered the therapy-of-choice. indicates that the drug is used in combination therapy.

• A indicates that the drug should be used in combination with another drug. Some of the entries display <S> following their names, indicating that they are pathogens and infections for which surgery (excision, extraction) is often necessary. These designations reflect The Medical Letter, The Sanford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy, and other standard references.

The following example shows the Spectrum tab results for the drug Albendazole, including both of the special icons listed above:

For purposes of this list, “susceptible” indicates that over 50% of isolates are susceptible in-vitro or respond clinically when appropriate dosages are employed. This designation should not imply a clinical indication for any specific drug-pathogen pair. Drugs, which are available for topical use only, are not included in the database. In some cases (e.g., methenamine) drug usage is limited to specific sites of infection only.

The designation ‘susceptible’ indicates that 1) the drug in question is recognized by the American Federal Drug Administration [FDA] or similar agencies as acceptable therapy for the pathogen in question; or 2) has been found effective in clinical or laboratory studies published in peer-reviewed journals and standard text books.

Susceptibility Testing Guidelines

Susceptibility to the drug can be found by scrolling to the bottom of the drug spectrum list.  Drug susceptibility summarizes published guidelines used in the in vitro testing of antimicrobial susceptibility. Inhibitory drug concentrations, which characterize bacteria as R [resistant] and S [susceptible], are also displayed.

For example, the susceptibility of Penicillin V is shown below:

Lists of drugs and interpretive criteria may change as new data are published. The figures in this window are valid only when using procedures, media, reagents and conditions of incubation outlined in standard texts. The designation Susceptible [S] should be taken as “Susceptible in-vitro to blood levels expected when proper dosage is given.”  The designation ‘susceptible’ indicates that 1) the drug in question is recognized by the American Federal Drug Administration [FDA] or similar agencies as acceptable therapy for the pathogen in question; or 2) has been found effective in clinical or laboratory studies published in peer-reviewed journals and standard text books.

In-vitro susceptibility does not necessarily imply clinical use for a drug, and should not be construed as a recommendation for therapy. Reliable standards for anti-fungal, antiviral and anti-parasitic agents are not yet published in this form.