title: Imipenem/cilastatin therapy of infections in cancer patients.
abstract: Imipenem/cilastatin was administered during 153 febrile episodes occurring in cancer patients and the response rate was 68%. Considering only documented infections the response rate was 71%. Patients who received imipenem as initial therapy had a higher response rate than patients who received it after failing other antibiotics (77% versus 68%). The overall response rates for septicemias and pneumonias were 75% and 58%. Among the 57 gram-negative infections 77% responded, but the response rate was substantially higher if imipenem was used as initial therapy (94% versus 69%). The poorest response rate was observed when imipenem was given as secondary therapy for Pseudomonas infections (50%), but most of these patients had failed to respond to other appropriate antibiotics. The only serious side effect was seizures which occurred in ten patients, although eight of them had other predisposing factors. Imipenem appears to be a useful antibiotic for treatment of infections, even in neutropenic cancer patients.
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Bodey
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Elting
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rolston
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fainstein
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015377:Cilastatin; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003521:Cyclopropanes / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D015378:Imipenem; D007938:Leukemia / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000188:drug therapy; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy; D013845:Thienamycins / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D003521:Cyclopropanes; D004338:Drug Combinations; D013845:Thienamycins; D015377:Cilastatin; D015378:Imipenem