From the Guidelines
Meropenem is the recommended carbapenem for targeted therapy in patients with bloodstream infections (BSI) and severe infections due to 3GCephRE, as stated in the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) guidelines. According to the guidelines, for patients with BSI and severe infection due to 3GCephRE, a carbapenem (imipenem or meropenem) is recommended as targeted therapy, with a strong recommendation for use and moderate certainty of evidence 1.
Key Points
- Meropenem is effective against many gram-positive, gram-negative, and anaerobic bacteria, including many multi-drug resistant strains.
- The recommended dose of meropenem is typically 500 mg to 1 gram every 8 hours for adults, with adjustments made for renal impairment.
- Meropenem works by inhibiting bacterial cell wall synthesis, causing cell death.
- Common side effects of meropenem include headache, nausea, diarrhea, injection site reactions, and rarely seizures.
- As with all antibiotics, meropenem should only be used when prescribed by a healthcare provider to prevent antibiotic resistance.
Clinical Considerations
The ESCMID guidelines also suggest that for patients with low-risk, non-severe infections due to 3GCephRE, piperacillin-tazobactam, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, or quinolones may be used, under the consideration of antibiotic stewardship 1. Additionally, for complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI) in patients without septic shock, aminoglycosides or intravenous fosfomycin may be conditionally recommended 1. However, meropenem remains the preferred choice for severe infections due to its broad-spectrum activity and strong recommendation for use.
From the Research
Meripenomen
There are no research papers to assist in answering this question, as the term "Meripenomen" is not found in any of the provided studies 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
Related Concepts
- The provided studies discuss various topics such as the antibacterial activity and therapeutic use of ceftriaxone 2, 3, 5, patient and clinician experiences of uncertainty in the diagnostic process 4, and a conceptual taxonomy of uncertainty in health care 6.
- Key points from these studies include:
- Ceftriaxone is a broad-spectrum antibiotic effective against various infections 2, 3, 5
- Uncertainty is a pervasive problem in health care that can be managed with strategies such as acknowledging uncertainty and communicating with patients 4, 6
- A conceptual taxonomy of uncertainty in health care can facilitate an organized approach to analyzing and managing uncertainty 6