title: Imipenem-cilastatin in the treatment of methicillin-sensitive and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections.
abstract: Imipenem-cilastatin was evaluated for efficacy and toxicity as an antistaphylococcal agent in 23 patients; 11 of these patients were infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and 12 were infected with methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA). There were 15 soft tissue, 5 endovascular, and 3 skeletal infections and a total of nine patients with bacteremia. As determined by in vitro susceptibility testing, the MICs for 90% of the MRSA and MSSA isolates tested were 6.25 and 0.39 micrograms/ml, respectively. Two MRSA isolates were resistant to a concentration of greater than 16 micrograms/ml. When 11 MRSA isolates and 7 MSSA isolates were incubated for 48 h the MICs for 90% of the isolates increased to greater than 50 micrograms/ml for the MRSA isolates and 6.25 micrograms/ml for the MSSA isolates. Three S. aureus isolates emerged resistant. Ten of 11 (91%) MRSA infections and 11 of 12 (92%) MSSA infections were clinically cured. Adverse reactions occurred in 25% of the imipenemcilastatin-treated patients. These reactions included gastrointestinal intolerance (7% of the patients), rash or pruritus (6%), eosinophilia (6%), thrombocytosis (4%), and a positive, direct Coomb test without hemolysis (3%). One of the two patients for whom therapy was discontinued because of gastrointestinal intolerance had antibiotic-associated colitis. Imipenem appears to be an effective antistaphylococcal agent against both MRSA and MSSA infections.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: del Busto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Love
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Markowitz
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cendrowski
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cardenas
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Saravolatz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015377:Cilastatin; D003521:Cyclopropanes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D015378:Imipenem; D008712:Methicillin / Q000494:pharmacology; D010403:Penicillin Resistance; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects; D013845:Thienamycins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D003521:Cyclopropanes; D013845:Thienamycins; D015377:Cilastatin; D015378:Imipenem; D008712:Methicillin