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Subcutaneous Infection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
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Published on: February 9, 2011

Empirical monotherapy with meropenem in serious bacterial infections in children

H L Hsu1, C Y Lu, H Y Tseng

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Cathay General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.

Journal of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infection = Wei Mian Yu Gan Ran Za Zhi
|February 5, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Meropenem is effective and well-tolerated for serious pediatric bacterial infections. However, monitoring meropenem resistance in hospital-acquired bacteria is crucial.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Antimicrobial Therapy
  • Clinical Pharmacology

Background:

  • Serious bacterial infections pose significant risks in hospitalized pediatric patients.
  • Meropenem is a broad-spectrum carbapenem antibiotic used for severe infections.
  • Understanding meropenem's efficacy and safety in diverse pediatric populations is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of meropenem in hospitalized pediatric patients.
  • To identify common adverse events and assess meropenem tolerance in children.
  • To investigate meropenem resistance patterns in pediatric bacterial isolates.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of data from 53 hospitalized pediatric patients (4 days to 20 years).
  • Patients treated for serious bacterial infections at a major teaching hospital in Taipei.
  • Clinical efficacy assessed in 47 patients; safety evaluated in all 53 patients.

Main Results:

  • High satisfactory clinical response rates observed across various infections (57%-100%).
  • Meropenem was generally well-tolerated, with adverse events in 21% of patients (e.g., elevated hepatic enzymes).
  • No meropenem-related seizures, withdrawal, or deaths occurred; however, meropenem resistance was noted.

Conclusions:

  • Meropenem demonstrates good efficacy and safety in treating serious bacterial infections in pediatric patients, including infants.
  • Close monitoring of meropenem resistance trends among nosocomial pathogens is recommended.
  • Further surveillance is needed to guide appropriate meropenem use in pediatric populations.

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