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Anti‐infective use in children and pregnancy: current deficiencies and future challenges
Author(s) -
Gwee Amanda,
Cranswick Noel
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
british journal of clinical pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.216
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1365-2125
pISSN - 0306-5251
DOI - 10.1111/bcp.12363
Subject(s) - pregnancy , dosing , medicine , drug , intensive care medicine , pharmacokinetics , adverse effect , pediatrics , pharmacology , biology , genetics
There are a number of challenges to using anti‐infective agents in children and pregnant women. There is limited understanding of the altered pharmacokinetics of anti‐infectives in these populations and as a result, optimized dosing regimens are yet to be established. The potential adverse effects of the drug on pregnancy outcome and the developing foetus is a major consideration, and the long term implications of drug side effects must be taken into account when drug exposure occurs early in life. These factors hinder research and licensing of new anti‐infective drugs in these populations. We describe the current deficiencies and future challenges of anti‐infective use in children and pregnant women, providing specific examples.