12.4 Pharmacokinetics and
pharmacodynamics
Pharmacokinetic (PK) studies address the time course
of antimicrobial concentrations in the body, while
pharmacodynamic (PD) studies address the relationship
between those concentrations and the antimicrobial
effect (10). The relationship between PK and PD
parameters are discussed in great detail in Chapter 6,
thus, only aspects regarding bacteria pathogenic to
aquaculture species are discussed here. PK and PD
studies have an important role in determining breakpoints
suitable for interpreting susceptibility tests
(see below). They also have a major, but with respect