From the Guidelines
Meropenem is typically dosed at 1 gram intravenously every 8 hours, while Linezolid is not mentioned in the provided evidence, but according to other sources, it is usually dosed at 600 mg intravenously every 12 hours for most infections in adults with normal renal function. When considering the treatment of various infections, including skin and soft tissue infections, it's crucial to refer to the most recent guidelines, such as those provided by the Infectious Diseases Society of America 1.
Key Points for Meropenem Dosage:
- For adults, the dosage is 1 gram every 8 hours intravenously, as indicated in the guidelines for mixed infections 1.
- For pediatric patients beyond the neonatal period, the dosage is 20 mg/kg/dose every 8 hours intravenously 1.
Considerations:
- The provided evidence does not mention Linezolid, suggesting that Meropenem and other antibiotics like Piperacillin-tazobactam, Imipenem-cilastatin, and Ertapenem are preferred for certain infections 1.
- It's essential to consider the type of infection, patient population, and renal function when determining the appropriate dosage and choice of antibiotic.
- Always consult the most recent and highest quality evidence when making clinical decisions, especially regarding antimicrobial therapy, to ensure the best outcomes in terms of morbidity, mortality, and quality of life.
From the FDA Drug Label
1 Adult Patients The recommended dose of meropenem for injection is 500 mg given every 8 hours for skin and skin structure infections and 1 gram given every 8 hours for intra-abdominal infections.
3 Use in Pediatric Patients Pediatric Patients 3 Months of Age and Older For pediatric patients 3 months of age and older, the meropenem for injection dose is 10 mg/kg, 20 mg/kg or 40 mg/kg every 8 hours (maximum dose is 2 grams every 8 hours), depending on the type of infection (cSSSI, cIAI, intra-abdominal infection or meningitis).
The dose of Meropenem is:
- For adult patients:
- 500 mg every 8 hours for skin and skin structure infections
- 1 gram every 8 hours for intra-abdominal infections
- For pediatric patients 3 months of age and older:
- 10 mg/kg, 20 mg/kg or 40 mg/kg every 8 hours (maximum dose is 2 grams every 8 hours)
The FDA drug label does not provide information on the dose of Linezolid 2.
From the Research
Doses of Meropenem and Linezolid
- The recommended dosage of Linezolid is 600 mg i.v. or p.o. twice daily for all indications except uncomplicated skin and skin-structure infections (400 mg twice daily) 3.
- The dose of Meropenem can vary, with some studies using 1 g every 8 h 4, 5, while others use 500 mg every 6 h 4 or 2 g every 8 h 6.
- Extended infusion administration of Meropenem, such as 1 g over 3 hours every 8 hours, has also been used in critically ill patients 7.
- High-dose, extended-infusion Meropenem, such as 2 g every 8 h, has been compared to other antibiotics, such as cefiderocol, in the treatment of Gram-negative nosocomial pneumonia 6.
Meropenem Dosing Strategies
- A review of clinical outcomes associated with two Meropenem dosing strategies (1 g every 8 h and 500 mg every 6 h) found no difference in clinical outcomes, but reduced economic costs with the alternative dosing regimen 4.
- An observational multicenter study found that dose adjustment of Meropenem to 0.5 g every 8 h was a useful tool in the treatment of severe nosocomial infections in patients admitted to intensive care medicine services, except in cases where causative pathogens were non-fermenting Gram-negative bacteria 5.
- A retrospective study found that extended infusion Meropenem protocol (1 g over 3 hours every 8 hours) was associated with improved mortality and clinical response compared to intermittent infusion protocol (500 mg over 30 minutes every 6 hours) in critically ill patients with severe sepsis/septic shock 7.