Current status of newer carbapenems.
OBJECTIVE
Beta-lactam antibiotics represent the most commonly prescribed antibacterial agents. Since many bacteria have developed resistance to older agents, new beta-lactams have been introduced constantly. In the late 1970s, a new class of exceptionally broad-spectrum beta-lactams, the carbapenems, was identified. The carbapenems, such as the most popular imipenem and meropenem, have the widest spectra of antibacterial activity of all the beta-lactams and provide excellent coverage of many gram-negative and gram-positive aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Despite the wide antibacterial spectrum, the carbapenems globally lack activity against Enterococcus faecium, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia.


METHODS
We reviewed the principal characteristics of the novel carbapenems and their clinical implications.


CONCLUSIONS
We included in our review: ertapenem, biapenem, panipenem, doripenem, tebipenem pivoxil and tomopenem.
Bassetti
Matteo
M
Infectious Diseases Division, San Martino University Hospital and University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy. matteo.bassetti@hsanmartino.it
Nicolini
Laura
L
Esposito
Silvano
S
Righi
Elda
E
Viscoli
Claudio
C
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019540:Area Under Curve; D015780:Carbapenems / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D015780:Carbapenems