At the end of the 1960s, challenging infections requiring treatment
in hospitals included meningitis, endocarditis, neonatal infections,
penicillin‐resistant staphylococcal infections and infections caused
by Gram‐negative organisms. In primary care, infections of the
urinary tract, respiratory tract and skin and soft tissues were a
common cause of morbidity and sometimes mortality. Further
problem areas emerging in the 1970s included mixed infections,
antibiotic‐resistant bacteria, new pathogens and infections in
immunocompromised patients, those undergoing surgery, and
infections in haemodialysis patients. There was a requirement for
broad‐spectrum antibiotics active against resistant organisms and in
mixed infections