We report a relapsed case of a 25 year-old man with multi-drug resistant Salmonella serovar Typhi (MDRST) bacteremia who had recently returned from travel in India. Due to unresponsiveness to ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone, we examined the strain's resistance to quinolones and extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs). The strain had a single gyrA mutation at codon 83 (Ser83Phe), which explains its decreased susceptibility to fluoroquinolone and resistance to nalidixic acid. In the screening tests of ESBLs, TEM-1 was positive, which is beta-lactamase but not ESBL. The patient was finally successfully treated with meropenem and aztreonam. In the presence of clinical unresponsiveness despite favorable sensitivity tests, further laboratory evaluations are needed, which should include studies of genes related to antibiotic resistance and ESBLs. In addition, further prospective trials should be done about the possible inclusion of antibiotics not yet mentioned in the current guidelines. With MDRST on the rise worldwide, the most optimal and effective line of antibiotic defense needs to be devised.
Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/*administration & dosage ; Aztreonam/*administration & dosage ; Bacteremia/drug therapy/microbiology ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial/genetics ; Drug Resistance, Multiple/genetics ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Humans ; Male ; Salmonella typhi/*drug effects/genetics ; Thienamycins/*administration & dosage ; Typhoid Fever/*drug therapy

Valproic acid (VPA) is a commonly prescribed anticonvulsant drug for the treatment of various forms of epilepsy. Concomitant administration of VPA and carbapenem antibiotics such as panipenem/ betamipron and meropenem has been reported to decrease the serum level of VPA. We observed seven cases which showed a decrease in serum levels of VPA due to concomitant use of VPA and carbapenem from January 2002 to October 2006 in a 750-bed university hospital, the average decrease of 70.4% was observed. Carbapenem antibiotics administrated concomitantly with VPA were panipenem (1 case), meropenem (3 cases), and imipenem (2 cases), and in one other case imipenem and meropenem were used sequentially. We found the VPA serum levels were significantly decreased with meropenem (n=4) more than with other carbapenem antibiotics (n=4, 89.3% vs. 51.5% decrease, P=0.03). Clinicians should be aware of this potential interaction, pay attention to the failure of seizure control due to decreased serum VPA levels with concomitant use of carbapenem antibiotics, and monitor VPA serum levels for those cases.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use ; Anticonvulsants/administration & dosage/*blood/therapeutic use ; Carbapenems/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use ; Drug Interactions ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Epilepsy/*drug therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Imipenem/therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Thienamycins/therapeutic use ; Valproic Acid/administration & dosage/*blood/therapeutic use

Acinetobacter Infections ; drug therapy ; Acinetobacter baumannii ; drug effects ; pathogenicity ; Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Burns ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Cefoperazone ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Minocycline ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Retrospective Studies ; Sulbactam ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Thienamycins ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and safety of meropenem in Chinese patients, we conducted a study for the treatment of patients with lower respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections and other infections.

METHODSA total of 182 hospitalized patients were enrolled in the study. 90 patients received 500 mg meropenem every 12 hours (or 1 g every 12 hours if necessary) and 92 patients received imipenem/cilastatin 500 mg/500 mg every 12 hours (or 1 g every 12 hours if necessary) by intravenous infusion. The duration of treatment was 7 - 14 days for both groups.

RESULTSSeventy of 90 cases receiving meropenem and 70 of 92 cases receiving imipenem/cilastatin were assessable for clinical efficacy. The overall efficacy rates were 90% for the meropenem group and 87% for the imipenem/cilastatin group, and the bacterial eradication rates were 86% in both groups. 93 (76%) of 123 strains isolated from patients produced beta-lactamases. Adverse drug reactions were evaluated in 72 cases in the meropenem group and 70 cases in the imipenem/cilastatin group. The adverse drug reaction rates were 9.7% and 8.6%, respectively. The results showed that there were no statistical differences between these two groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONMeropenem is effective and safe for the treatment of bacterial infections caused mainly by beta-lactamase-producing strains.

Adult ; Aged ; Alanine Transaminase ; blood ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; blood ; Cilastatin ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Imipenem ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; drug therapy ; Thienamycins ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Urinary Tract Infections ; drug therapy