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Continuous versus intermittent administration of piperacillin-tazobactam in intensive care unit patients with

Fanak Fahimi1, Somayeh Ghafari, Hamidreza Jamaati

  • 1Chronic Respiratory Disease Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Masih Daneshvari Hospital, Tehran, Iran.

Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine : Peer-Reviewed, Official Publication of Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine
|November 29, 2012
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Continuous versus intermittent piperacillin-tazobactam administration showed no significant difference in clinical outcomes for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) patients. Serial Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score (CPIS) measurements confirmed similar results for both continuous infusion (CI) and intermittent infusion (II) groups.

Area of Science:

  • Critical Care Medicine
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a common hospital-acquired infection in Intensive Care Units (ICUs).
  • Optimizing antibiotic administration is crucial for managing VAP and improving patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the clinical outcomes of continuous infusion (CI) versus intermittent infusion (II) of piperacillin-tazobactam in VAP patients.
  • To evaluate treatment efficacy using serial measurements of the Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score (CPIS).

Main Methods:

  • A quasi-experimental study comparing two parallel groups: CI group (n=31) and II group (n=30).
  • Patients received piperacillin-tazobactam (3.375 g) via CI (4h every 8h) or II (30min every 6h).
  • Clinical outcomes were assessed using serial CPIS measurements.

Main Results:

  • No significant differences were observed between CI and II groups regarding patient demographics, VAP characteristics, duration of mechanical ventilation, length of stay, or total antibiotic usage.
  • Mortality rates during hospitalization were similar between the CI and II groups.
  • Serial CPIS scores indicated comparable clinical outcomes for both administration methods.

Conclusions:

  • Continuous infusion and intermittent infusion of piperacillin-tazobactam yield similar clinical outcomes in VAP patients.
  • The method of piperacillin-tazobactam administration does not significantly impact VAP patient outcomes as measured by CPIS.
Keywords:
Piperacillintazobactamventilator-associated pneumonia

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