Abstract
In a prospective randomized study meropenem was compared with imipenem/cilastatin in the treatment of 62 patients with intraabdominal infections requiring surgery. The patients were suffering from diffuse or local peritonitis of moderate severity complicating in most cases gangrenous appendicitis, stomach perforation or gall-bladder disease. There were 30 patients in the meropenem group and 32 patients in the imipenem/cilastatin group. Both antibiotic regimens were given intravenously at a dosage of 1 g every 8 h for a mean duration of 7.7 days in the meropenem group versus 8.6 days in the imipenem/cilastatin group. Fifty-nine aerobic strains and 15 anaerobic strains were isolated from cultures of pus taken intraoperatively, the meropenem MICs ranging from ≤ 0.25 to 2 µg/ml. At follow-up at least one month after treatment the outcome was considered successful in all of 27 evaluable patients given meropenem and in all of 29 evaluable patients given imipenem/cilastatin. Both antibiotic regimens were well tolerated.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Edwards JR, Turner PJ, Wannop C, Withnell ES, Grindey AJ, Nairn K In vitro antibacterial activity of SM-7338, a carbapenem antibiotic with stability to dehydropeptidase I. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 1989, 33: 215–222.
Nord CE, Lindmark A, Persson I Susceptibility of anaerobic bacteria to meropenem. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 1989, 24, Supplement A: 113–117.
Voutsinas D, Mavroudis T, Avlamis A, Giamarellou H In vitro activity of meropenem a new carbapenem against multiresistantPseudomonas aeruginosa compared with that of other antipseudomonal antimicrobials. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 1989, 24, Supplement A: 143–147.
Nilsson-Ehle I, Hutchison M, Haworth SJ, Norrby SR Pharmacokinetics of meropenem compared to imipenem/cilastatin in young, healthy males. European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases 1991, 10: 85–88.
Patel JB, Giles RE Meropenem: evidence of lack of proconvulsive tendency in mice. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 1989, 24, Supplement A: 307–309.
Topham JC, Murgatroyd LB, Jones DV, Goonetilleke URP, Wright J Safety evaluation of meropenem in animals: studies on the kidney. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 1989, 24, Supplement A: 287–306.
Lami JL, Wilson SE, Hopkins JA Adjunctive antimicrobials in surgery of soft tissue infections. American Surgeon 1991, 57: 769–774.
Sutter SL, Citron DM, Finegold SM: Wadsworth anaerobic bacteriology manual CV Mosby, St. Louis, 1980.
Giamarellou H, Tsagarakis J, Daikos GK Moxalactam in serious infections. Clinical, bacteriologic and pharmacokinetic studies. Reviews of Infectious Diseases 1982, 4, Supplement: 629–638.
Tally FP, Gorbach SL Therapy of mixed anaerobic-aerobic infection. Lessons from studies in intra-abdominal sepsis. American Journal of Medicine 1986, 78, Supplement 6A: 137–145.
Berkeley AS, Freedman K, Hirsch J, Ledger WJ Imipenem/cilastatin in the treatment of obstetric and gynecologic infections. American Journal of Medicine 1986, 78, Supplement 6A: 71–76.
Solomkin JS, Fant WK, Rivera JO, Alexander JW Randomized trial of imipenem/cilastatin versus gentamicin and clindamycin in mixed flora infections. American Journal of Medicine 1985, 78, Supplement 6A: 77–83.
Scandinavian Study Group Imipenem/cilastatin versus gentamicin/clindamycin for treatment of serious bacterial infections. Lancet 1984, i: 868–871.
Calandra GB, Brown KR, Grad LC, Ahonkhai VI, Wang C, Azir MA Review of adverse experience and tolerability in the first 2516 patients treated with imipenem/cilastatin. American Journal of Medicine 1985, 78, Supplement 6A: 65–70.
Meyers BR Comparative toxicities of third-generation cephalosporins. American Journal of Medicine 1985, 78, Supplement 2A: 96–103.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kanellakopoulou, K., Giamarellou, H., Papadothomakos, P. et al. Meropenem versus imipenem/cilastatin in the treatment of intraabdominal infections requiring surgery. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 12, 449–453 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01967440
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01967440