The introduction of a large number of new antibiotics has made selecting the one most appropriate for treatment a confusing task for the practicing physician. One problem is that the differences in pharmacokinetics, in vitro activity, and clinical indications between some of these agents may be relatively minor; this is especially true of the new cephalosporins. Another problem is that the generic names of the cephalosporins are so similar that it is impractical, even for the infectious diseases specialist, to be familiar with all of them. This review attempts to summarize the most important characteristics of these new antibiotics and emphasizes their indications in clinical practice
