Antibiotic choices - classes or individual drugs?

[Paddles]

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Why are antibiotics of choice almost always given as individual drugs e.g. saying "Ciprofloxacin is drug of choice in Pseudomonas conjunctivitis", as opposed to "fluoroquinolones are drugs of choice"

Are the cited drugs known to be especially effective against the organism (or range of organisms if empiric) in question, or are they just dogma / what's always been done?

 

[IndiaInk567]

Depends on the drug. For the example you site, cipro comes in liquid form (drops) which is why it's used for conjunctivitis and otitis externa.

 

[Transposony]

Why are antibiotics of choice almost always given as individual drugs e.g. saying "Ciprofloxacin is drug of choice in Pseudomonas conjunctivitis", as opposed to "fluoroquinolones are drugs of choice"

Are the cited drugs known to be especially effective against the organism (or range of organisms if empiric) in question, or are they just dogma / what's always been done?

Because they have been found to be the most effective based on sensitivity of the organism to that antibiotic as well as the cost, clinical studies/trials, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.

 

[seminoma]

Why are antibiotics of choice almost always given as individual drugs e.g. saying "Ciprofloxacin is drug of choice in Pseudomonas conjunctivitis", as opposed to "fluoroquinolones are drugs of choice"

Are the cited drugs known to be especially effective against the organism (or range of organisms if empiric) in question, or are they just dogma / what's always been done?

Lots of drugs vary within their class. For example, voriconazole for aspergillus, non-cipro quinolones for pneumonias, non-ertapenem carbapenems for pseudomonas.

Knowing the classes is probably good enough to pass. Knowing the differences between drugs within one class is probably what you need to do very well.