[Imipenem/cilastatin in surgical intensive medicine]

26 patients from the surgical intensive care unit, University Hospital Lübeck, received imipenem/cilastatin for severe abdominal, respiratory or urogenital infections. 500 mg imipenem/cilastatin were infused i.v. over 30 min q. i. d. The treatment was successful in 84,6% of the patients suffering from severe infections. Two cases were considered to be failures. 36 of the 43 isolated pathogens (83.7%) were eliminated. Transitory elevations of liver enzymes were the most frequent side-reactions observed; an increase in serum creatinine, diarrhoea or fungal colonization were less common.