Clindamycin in the Treatment of Human Infections [antikvár]

Introduction More than 20 years have elapsed since clindamycin was first introduced as a treatment for humán infections. Because of its high antimicrobial activity, against aerobic cocci but especially against anaerobes, clindamycin has become the drug of choice for treatment of anaerobic infections. When used for approved indications, clindamycin has invariably had high degrees of efficacy, as documented by a large number of clinical studies. The purpose of this book is to provide a comprehensive review of data on the microbiology, clinical pharmacology, mechanisms of action, and clinical activity of clindamycin in the treatment of humán infections. Chapters devoted to specific indications include sections on bacteriology, clinical aspects of the disease and its treatment, and a comparison of the success rate of clindamycin with success rates of other available antibiotic regimens. Most clinical evaluations of clindamycin have been prospective, double-blind comparative studies. For each type of infection, the clindamycin success rate has been compared to that of other antibiotics. Because conducting a meta-analysis of so many studies and patients was virtually impossible, the overall success rates represent the percentage of successfully treated patients based on the totál number of patients analyzed. A chapter on the treatment of two AIDS-related infections-Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and Tbxoplasma gondii encephalitis - indicates the continuing usefulness of clindamycin as an antibiotic therapy. In addition, one chapter describes the enhancing effect of clindamycin on the host-defense system. I would like to acknowledge all of the authors who participated in this project; it was defmitely a learning experience to interact with thought leaders from heterogenous backgrounds who possess recognized therapeutic expertise. I want particularly to thank Dr Dwight Lambe for his suggestions, Rex Mann for his invaluable help in editing several chapters, and Tom Eble, Floyd Kupiecki, Charles Large, Ross Herr, and Harold Renis for their review of the literature (more than 10,000 papers!). I alsó want to thank Francisco (Paco) Salinas, Holly Christensen, Jeff Kern, and Warren Snow for their valuable suggestions during the project. Paco has been one of the strongest supporters of this book, and he provided assistance in ways too numerous to mention. Doctors G. Powley, D. Griffith, P. Eleftheriou, and M. Noah critically read all of the chapters; their expertise, opinions, and suggestions were greatly appreciated. The invaluable help of Norma Gowens and Dianna Allgaier from the Upjohn Tbchnical Library, and of Imelda Bazan, Linda Foster, and Julié Noel for manuscript preparation was alsó much appreciated. Last but not least, I want to thank Sarah Staples for the laborious task of manuscript editing. I must say that I enjoyed every minute of working with all of these people on a project that became more and more exciting as it progressed. Dávid Zambrano, MD, PhD Editor