Refers to utilizing a class of antibiotics or a specific antibiotic for a defined period and then withdrawing it from use, to later reintroduce it in an attempt to limit bacterial resistance.
Has the potential for using antibiotic classes that possess greater overall activity against the predominant local pathogens, resulting in more effective treatment of nosocomial infections.
One method of achieving antimicrobial heterogeneity by using multiple classes of antibiotics in a setting such as a hospital or an ICU, to reduce emergence of bacterial resistance that might occur with the utilization of a single or limited number of antibiotic classes.