Have antibiotic sensibilities for my infection. says bactrim s <=20, cipro (ciprofloxacin) s <=0.25. does that denote efficacy? dose requirement? other? thanks.

Sensitive: The sensitivities of "&lt;x" mean that the organism is sensitive to the antibiotic at a low concentration on a petrie dish (ie, it's sensitive, not resistant) but it's an in vitro test and doesn't tell you what dose to use which depends on the type of infection, recommended dosing schedules and experience of the clinician.

Concentrations: First off, s means "sensitive". The number following is the minimum inhibitory concentration (mic). This is the smallest concentration of the drug that will inhibit growth of that particular bacterium. In general, this correlates with efficacy as the high the number is, the less likely the bacteria will be sensitive. However, concentration does not correlate to dose, so it is not always true.

Depends:: Bactrim (sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim) goes out through the kidneys, so it would be an ideal drug to treat a urinary tract infection with this sensitive bug, but some tissues don't permit some drugs to soak into them. So the question is best answered knowing what is actually being treated.