Inhaled antimicrobial therapy - Barriers to effective treatment

Inhaled antibiotics dramatically improve targeting of drug to the site of respiratory infections, while simultaneously minimizing systemic exposure and associated toxicity. The high local concentrations of antibiotic may enable more effective treatment of multi-drug resistant pathogens. This review explores barriers to effective treatment with inhaled antibiotics. In addition, potential opportunities for improvements in treatment are reviewed. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.