Evaluation of the serum bactericidal test

The serum bactericidal test (SBT) is used to monitor antibiotic treatment during therapy. Compared to other methods of sensitivity testing, such as MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) determination, the SBT also takes into consideration the pharmacokinetic qualities of the drug tested. Serum bactericidal titers are measured during therapy of different infectious diseases to estimate therapeutic outcome. Until now serum bactericidal titers of 1:8 in non-granulocytopenic patients, and titers ≥1:16 in granulocytopenic patients have been shown to correlate with a successful treatment outcome in patients with gram-negative sepsis