Background: In addition to the antimicrobial properties of a substance (pharmacodynamics PD) and the sensitivity of the bacterium, the pharmacokinetic properties (PK) and the concentration of the antibiotic at the site of action play a decisive role in the efficacy of antibiotic therapy. Many patient factors can modulate the pharmacokinetic core processes (release, absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion) and thus the concentration at the site of action, which is why these must be taken into account when determining the treatment regimen.

Patients with infectious diseases differ significantly from healthy individuals. In intensive care patients, changes in fluid balance (e.g. "third spacing") and thus in distribution and elimination disorders are among the most common mechanisms that influence the PK of drugs and consequently their concentration at the site of action. Due to the frequent presence of severe renal insufficiency, data on the efficiency of renal replacement procedures are also important in this population, as the use of modern, highly efficient procedures can result in lower drug concentrations, making dose adjustments necessary. If the concentration falls below the minimum inhibitory concentration (_MIC90) of the infection-causing bacterium, the risk of treatment failure and the development of resistance increases. In turn, a severely limited elimination capacity of the organism can result in increasing drug concentrations and adverse drug reactions.

The scientific focus is on: pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies with antibiotics and antimycotics, development of test plans and AMG applications, design, organisation and implementation of clinical studies in collaboration with clinicians, stability and compatibility studies, release models, molecular biological tests.

The working methods include pharmaceutical analysis (primarily HPLC analysis, UV/VIS and IR spectroscopy) and microbiological investigation methods. This involves the establishment, optimisation and quality assurance of existing procedures and the validation of new analytical methods. In addition to the studies we initiate ourselves, we also carry out contract analyses for industry, internal hospital departments and external university hospitals.

Since 1998, more than 20 studies have been carried out in the hospital pharmacy to determine levels. Every year, the data obtained from these studies is presented in papers at national and international congresses. In addition, publications are published in peer-reviewed journals in the field of anti-infectives.