title: Clinical evaluation of the imipenem/cilastatin combination in the therapy of severe infections in patients with malignant diseases.
abstract: Thirty hospitalized patients (23 men and 7 women), aged 42 to 78 years, with impaired host defences for malignant underlying diseases and affected by life-threatening infections, were treated with the imipenem/cilastatin combination at a dosage ranging between 2 and 4 g daily i.v. at 8 or 12 h intervals. The average length of therapy was 9.6 +/- 2.09 days. The isolated organisms were as follows: Pseudomonas aeruginosa [12], Escherichia coli [10], Klebsiella pneumoniae [5], Proteus mirabilis [3], P. vulgaris [2], Serratia marcescens [1], Staphylococcus aureus [3], Streptococcus faecalis [3], Bacteroides fragilis [5]. In fourteen patients a mixed infection was observed. Twenty-three patients (76.66%) were completely cured of infection and 35 out of 44 isolated organisms (79.54%) were eradicated. No important side-effects were observed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Internal Medicine, 1st Medical School, University of Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cristiano
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Iovene
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Simioli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pezza
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Raucci
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lobello
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015377:Cilastatin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015378:Imipenem / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D015377:Cilastatin; D015378:Imipenem