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Meropenem in the treatment of febrile neutropenic children

Judit Müller1, Miklós Garami, Tamás Constantin

  • 12nd Department of Pediatrics, Semmelweis University, H-1094 Budapest, Hungary. muller@gyer2.sote.hu

Pediatric Hematology and Oncology
|July 16, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Meropenem effectively treated infections in immunocompromised children with cancer. This antibiotic demonstrated good tolerance and clinical success rates in neutropenic patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Oncology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Neutropenic patients, particularly those with cancer, are highly susceptible to infections.
  • Prompt and effective antibiotic therapy is crucial for managing febrile episodes in this population.
  • Meropenem is a broad-spectrum carbapenem antibiotic used for serious bacterial infections.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To retrospectively evaluate the clinical effectiveness and tolerability of meropenem.
  • To assess meropenem's efficacy in treating febrile episodes in immunocompromised children with cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 87 febrile events in 55 immunocompromised children treated with meropenem.
  • Evaluation of 328 bacterial cultures, including hemocultures.
  • Assessment of infection documentation (microbiological or clinical) and treatment success rates.

Main Results:

  • Gram-positive strains predominated (67%) among detected microorganisms.
  • Microbiologically documented infections occurred in 49.4% of cases.
  • Meropenem therapy success rate was 72.9% (excluding fungal/Staphylococcus infections) and 49.4% overall.

Conclusions:

  • Meropenem is an effective and well-tolerated treatment option for neutropenic children with cancer.
  • The study supports the use of meropenem in managing febrile episodes in this vulnerable patient group.

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