O. Bercea*
*Prof. Dr. Ovidiu Bercea, Institutul de Pneumoftiziologie “Marius Nasta”, București
Abstract
The postantibiotic effect (PAE) is defin de by the delay before growth of bacteria after short exposures to antibiotics. PAE was demonstrated both “in vitro” and “in vivo” for may bacterial and fungal spectres with almost all antibiotics. Drug concentration and exposure duration were the main factors of PAE. Its magnitude is different from a germ/antibiotic combination to another. During PAE the microbial morphology, metabolism, virulence and susceptibility to host defences may be significantly altered and the bactericidal effect of new exposures reduced. In the field of chemotherapy of human infections EPA was the experimental basis of the “Discontinous” or “Intermittent” administration of drugs which became usual in the tuberculosis treatment but, for the moment, was adopted to a much less extent in the treatment of other infections.