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Ampicillin in Combination with Ceftaroline, Cefepime, or Ceftriaxone Demonstrates Equivalent Activities in a

Megan K Luther1, Louis B Rice2, Kerry L LaPlante3

  • 1Department of Pharmacy Practice, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA Rhode Island Infectious Diseases (RIID) Research Program, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
|March 2, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Ampicillin-ceftriaxone is common for Enterococcus faecalis infections. New ampicillin combinations with ceftaroline or cefepime show similar effectiveness, offering potential alternatives to reduce vancomycin-resistant enterococcus risks.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Ampicillin-ceftriaxone combination therapy is a primary treatment for severe Enterococcus faecalis infections like endocarditis.
  • Ceftriaxone use has been linked to increased risk of vancomycin-resistant enterococcus colonization.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate alternative ampicillin combination therapies against Enterococcus faecalis.
  • To assess the in vitro efficacy of ampicillin combined with ceftaroline, cefepime, or gentamicin compared to ampicillin-ceftriaxone.

Main Methods:

  • An in vitro pharmacodynamic model was utilized.
  • Simulated human concentration-time profiles of antibiotic combinations were tested against Enterococcus faecalis.

Main Results:

  • Ampicillin-ceftaroline and ampicillin-cefepime demonstrated comparable in vitro activity against Enterococcus faecalis when compared to ampicillin-ceftriaxone.
  • Gentamicin combination was also evaluated.

Conclusions:

  • Ampicillin-cefepime and ampicillin-ceftaroline represent promising alternatives to ampicillin-ceftriaxone for treating serious Enterococcus faecalis infections.
  • These combinations may help mitigate the risk of vancomycin-resistant enterococcus colonization associated with ceftriaxone.

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