What do the new antimicrobials offer? Weighing the advantages and disadvantages compared with traditional agents.

The newest antimicrobial drugs have broader spectrums of activity than their predecessors. But are they better than traditional antimicrobial agents? Several drugs recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may be more effective against uncommon and antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, but their superior efficacy in treating common infections has yet to be proved. Dr Gleckman discusses the advantages and disadvantages of these new drugs and how they can best be used to avoid fostering the emergence of drug-resistant pathogens.