Practical Antibiotics Guide

Spectrum, dosing and stewardship at the bedside

Organised by antibiotic class rather than by disease, so the mechanism sticks before the indication list.

Each class opens with a coverage matrix (Gram-positive, Gram-negative, atypical, anaerobic, Pseudomonas) and closes with the three prescribing errors seen most often on the wards.

Renal and hepatic dose adjustment tables are displayed on tinted panels for fast access.

Learning outcomes

Match an antibiotic class to the likely pathogen of each common infection site.
Adjust doses for renal impairment using creatinine clearance bands.
Recognise the clinical consequences of beta-lactam allergy labels.
De-escalate empiric therapy once culture and sensitivity return.
Explain resistance mechanisms: ESBL, MRSA, carbapenemase.

Chapters

01
Foundations
What antibiotics can and cannot do, how bacteria differ from viruses, and the four targets every class attacks.
Pages 1–6
02
Beta-lactams
Penicillins, cephalosporins and carbapenems: one shared mechanism, widening spectrum, and the allergy question that dominates practice.
Pages 7–12
03
Beyond the beta-lactams
Protein-synthesis inhibitors, DNA-active agents, folate blockers and the glycopeptides — what each buys you and what each costs.
Pages 13–17
04
Choosing, dosing and stopping
Resistance, stewardship, adverse effects and three worked teaching cases that put the classes to work.
Pages 18–25