Left: Time-dependent antibiotics (beta-lactams, including penicillins and penems, glycopeptides, linezolid, macrolides, etc.). The time that the concentration of a drug remains above the MIC (T > MIC) is the PK-PD index correlating with efficacy. The post-antibiotic effect (PAE) can be absent (macrolides), minimal (betalactams, including penicillins and penems), or moderate (glycopeptides, linezolid).
Right: Concentration-dependent antibiotics (aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones). The peak concentration/minimum inhibitory concentration (Cmax/MIC) ratio and/or the area under the concentration-time curve at 24 h/MIC (AUC0-24/MIC) ratio are the best PK-PD modeling and simulation correlating with efficacy. Moreover, there is a prolonged PAE with the concentration-dependent antibiotics.
