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The use of piperacillin-tazobactam in neonatal and paediatric patients

Maria F Wolf1, Arne Simon

  • 1University of Bonn, Children's Hospital, Medical Center, Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Adenauerallee 119, 53113 Bonn, Germany.

Expert Opinion on Drug Metabolism & Toxicology
|February 25, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Piperacillin-tazobactam (PIP/TAZO) is a safe empiric treatment for serious pediatric infections, especially those caused by resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Further research is needed for neonatal use and in specific pediatric cancer cases.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Antimicrobial Stewardship
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Piperacillin-tazobactam (PIP/TAZO) is widely used in adults for nosocomial infections and fever with neutropenia.
  • Limited detailed reviews exist on PIP/TAZO use in pediatric populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current literature on the use of piperacillin-tazobactam in neonatal and pediatric patients.
  • To assess the safety and efficacy of PIP/TAZO in pediatric populations.

Main Methods:

  • A Medline search was conducted for English-language articles.
  • Due to a scarcity of randomized controlled trials, uncontrolled studies and case series were included.

Main Results:

  • PIP/TAZO can be safely used as empiric treatment for serious pediatric infections in hospital settings with emerging resistance.
  • Common indications include nosocomial infections, cystic fibrosis exacerbations, intra-abdominal infections, and fever/neutropenia in pediatric cancer patients.

Conclusions:

  • PIP/TAZO demonstrates safety in pediatric patients for various serious infections.
  • The impact of PIP/TAZO on resistance patterns (ESBL-producing Gram-negatives, VRE) requires further investigation.
  • Prospective randomized studies are needed for neonatal use and PIP/TAZO monotherapy in febrile neutropenic pediatric cancer patients.
Abstract

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