Imipenem-cilastatin as initial therapy for febrile cancer patients

Imipenem-cilastatin was used to treat 79 febrile episodes in 71 cancer patients, most of whom had neutropenia. The overall response rate was 67%, and 76% of the 45 documented infections responded. The response rates for septicemias and pneumonias were 79 and 62%, respectively. Only 1 of the 17 infections caused by gram-negative bacilli failed to respond to this therapy. The most common side effects were skin rash, nausea, and diarrhea. Eight superinfections were detected during therapy.