From the FDA Drug Label
The first trial enrolled 404 patients and compared ertapenem (15 mg/kg intravenous (IV) every 12 hours in patients 3 months to 12 years of age, and 1 g IV once a day in patients 13 to 17 years of age) to ceftriaxone (50 mg/kg/day IV in two divided doses in patients 3 months to 12 years of age and 50 mg/kg/day IV as a single daily dose in patients 13 to 17 years of age) for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infection (UTI), skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI), or community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Both regimens allowed the option to switch to oral amoxicillin/clavulanate for a total of up to 14 days of treatment (parenteral and oral).
The treatment duration for ESBL UTI with Ertapenem is up to 14 days of treatment, with the option to switch to oral amoxicillin/clavulanate after initial parenteral treatment 1.
From the Research
Treatment Duration for ESBL UTI with Ertapenem
The treatment duration for ESBL UTI with Ertapenem varies across different studies. Here are some key findings:
- The mean duration of ertapenem therapy was 8.9 ± 1.6 days (range 4-11) in a study of children with complicated UTIs caused by ESBL-producing organisms 2.
- Ertapenem-treated patients received longer outpatient antibiotic treatment, with a duration of 10 days, compared to fosfomycin-treated patients who received treatment for 6 days 3.
- A retrospective study found that the median duration of appropriate parenteral antibiotic therapy with ertapenem was 6 days for complicated UTIs 4.
- The mean duration of antibiotic treatment with ertapenem was 16.45 ± 4.77 days, which was longer than the duration of treatment with TMP/SMX (12.76 ± 5.37 days) 5.
- In a study of children with complicated UTIs caused by ESBL-producing organisms, the mean duration of ertapenem treatment was 7.8 ± 1.2 days (range 7-14 days) 6.
Key Findings
Some key findings from the studies include:
- Ertapenem is effective for treating UTIs caused by ESBL-producing microorganisms 2, 6.
- Ertapenem can be used as a step-down therapy for outpatient treatment of ESBL UTIs 3.
- Short-course parenteral treatment with ertapenem is safe and effective for complicated UTIs 4.
- TMP/SMX may be an effective oral antibiotic treatment option for UTIs caused by ESBL-positive pathogens, enabling early discharge and shorter hospital stays 5.