The ability of an antimicrobial drug to arrest the growth of or kill bacteria is dependent upon its mechanism of action and the concentration that the drug attains at the infection site. When a drug is introduced into the body, it is rapidly carried through the bloodstream to the liver, kidneys, and other organs that can chemically change or reduce its antibacterial activity and promote its excretion.
These processes of drug (1) absorption from the site of administration, (2) distribution throughout the body and elimination via (3) biochemical metabolism, and (4) excretion by urine, bile, or other pathways are referred to as pharmacokinetic parameters and are referred to together as ADME. These factors are affected by the patient as well as the physicochemical qualities and other properties of the antibacterial medication.
This chemical and physiological processing by the body, as well as the drug's lipid solubility and other chemical characteristics, limit the drug's ability to enter diseased tissues and establish contact with pathogens that live in interstitial fluids or host cells. The clinical outcome of antimicrobial medication therapy is closely related to the early exposure of pathogenic bacteria to effective drug concentrations for optimal duration of time.
Although antibiotics are useful for treating illnesses, their use can result in antibiotic-resistant diseases in animals and humans that consume them. Antibiotic side effects and tight government regulations for antibiotic usage in emerging nations are projected to stifle expansion in the veterinary antibiotics market over the forecast period. According to the World Health Organization's (WHO) new guidelines announced in 2017, farmers and the food sector are advised to avoid routinely administering antibiotics to boost growth and prevent sickness in healthy animals.