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The Use of Carbapenems in the Treatment of Serious InfectionsDepartment of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, Bob.baughman{at}uc.edu Inadequate initial antimicrobial treatment in serious infections leads to increased mortality. Achieving adequate treatment is increasingly difficult because of the increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens. The carbapenems are potent, broad-spectrum antibiotics that have been shown to be safe and efficacious therapies in the treatment of serious infections. This review is intended to compare the 4 major members of the carbapenem class, which include imipenem, meropenem, ertapenem, and doripenem, with other widely used antimicrobial agents in the intensive care unit (ICU). The carbapenems are potent, broad-spectrum antibiotics that have been shown to be safe and efficacious therapies in the treatment of serious infections. They provide better gram-negative coverage than other β-lactams and are stable against extended-spectrum β-lactamases and AmpC β-lactamases, making them effective in the treatment of many MDR bacteria. The newly approved carbapenem, doripenem, may help preserve the utility of the carbapenem class.
Key Words: carbapenems • community-acquired infections • multidrug resistance • nosocomial infections
This version was published on July
1, 2009 Journal of Intensive Care Medicine, Vol. 24, No. 4,
230-241 (2009) |
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