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Updated: Jun 27, 2026
12:03
Antimicrobial Synergy Testing by the Inkjet Printer-assisted Automated Checkerboard Array and the Manual Time-kill Method
Published on: April 18, 2019
New developments in carbapenems
J N Kattan1, M V Villegas, J P Quinn
1CIDEIM (International Center for Medical Research and Training), Cali, Colombia.
Summary
Carbapenems are crucial antibiotics for treating severe Gram-negative infections, showing low resistance rates and a good safety profile. Optimized dosing and new agents like doripenem are vital to combat rising antibiotic resistance.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Pharmacology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative pathogens poses a significant threat in hospital settings.
- Carbapenems, a class of beta-lactam antibiotics, have a long history of safety and efficacy for serious infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the efficacy, safety, and role of carbapenems in treating infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms.
- To discuss the importance of optimized dosing and the addition of new carbapenems to clinical practice.
Main Methods:
- Literature search of Medline (1979-2008).
- Inclusion of reference citations from publications, conference abstracts, and package inserts.
Main Results:
- Carbapenems are effective against severe infections at various sites with low resistance rates.
- They possess a favorable safety profile and are the preferred choice for multidrug-resistant infections.
Conclusions:
- Optimized carbapenem dosing is essential to limit resistance and extend their clinical utility.
- Doripenem represents a valuable new option alongside imipenem, meropenem, and ertapenem.
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