title: Piperacillin-tazobactam: a beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor combination.
abstract: Piperacillin-tazobactam is a beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor combination with a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity that includes Gram-positive and -negative aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Piperacillin-tazobactam retains its in vitro activity against broad-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing and some extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae, but not against isolates of Gram-negative bacilli harboring AmpC beta-lactamases. Piperacillin-tazobactam has recently been reformulated to include ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and sodium citrate; this new formulation has been shown to be compatible in vitro with the two aminoglycosides, gentamicin and amikacin, allowing for simultaneous Y-site infusion, but not with tobramycin. Multicenter, randomized, double-blinded clinical trials have demonstrated piperacillin-tazobactam to be as clinically effective as relevant comparator antibiotics. Clinical trials have demonstrated piperacillin-tazobactam to be effective for the treatment of patients with intra-abdominal infections, skin and soft tissue infections, lower respiratory tract infections, complicated urinary tract infections, gynecological infections and more recently, febrile neutropenia. Piperacillin-tazobactam has an excellent safety and tolerability profile and continues to be a reliable option for the empiric treatment of moderate-to-severe infections in hospitalized patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Canada. agin@exchange.hsc.mb.ca
authors.forename: Alfred
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gin
authors.forename: Leanne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dilay
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Karlowsky
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Walkty
authors.forename: Ethan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rubinstein
authors.forename: George G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Zhanel
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000188:drug therapy; D010397:Penicillanic Acid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D010878:Piperacillin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D000077725:Piperacillin, Tazobactam Drug Combination; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D018461:Soft Tissue Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D065093:beta-Lactamase Inhibitors
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D065093:beta-Lactamase Inhibitors; D000077725:Piperacillin, Tazobactam Drug Combination; D010397:Penicillanic Acid; D010878:Piperacillin