Empiric treatment options in the management of complicated intra-abdominal infections.

Complicated intra-abdominal infections remain a major challenge for surgeons and internists because of their association with high morbidity and mortality. For optimal outcome, these infections require a combination of appropriate and timely surgical source control and adjunctive broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapy. This review discusses criteria for choosing empiric antimicrobial therapy, outlines available treatment options, and highlights new antimicrobial therapies for these infections.