title: [Clinical effects of continuous infusion and intermittent infusion of meropenem on bacterial pneumonia in the elderly].
abstract: We compared the clinical effects of continuous infusion and intermittent infusion of meropenem (MEPM) on bacterial pneumonia in the elderly. The subjects were elderly patients (over 65) with moderate community-acquired bacterial pneumonia whose performance status was 3 or 4. They were randomly divided into an intermittent group (0.5 g MEPM was infused morning and evening) and a continuous infusion group (1.0 g/day over 24 hours was infused continuously), and the clinical effects were reviewed prospectively. Clinical efficacy on the third day was 64.0% in the intermittent infusion group and 72.0% in the continuous infusion group, and the overall clinical efficacy was 76.0% in the intermittent infusion group and 80.0% in the continuous infusion group. Administration periods were 13.2 +/- 5.7 days in the intermittent infusion group and 12.1 +/- 4.5 days in the continuous infusion group. These results show no statistically significant difference, and suggest that continuous infusion of MEPM did not have better clinical effect than intermittent administration twice a day in the treatment of elderly patients with moderate community-acquired bacterial pneumonia.
authors.affiliation: Center of Respiratory Diseases, Kawasaki Medical School Kawasaki Hospital.
authors.forename: Niro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Okimoto
authors.forename: Mitsunori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishiga
authors.forename: Fumiyo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nanba
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kibayashi
authors.forename: Michihiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kishimoto
authors.forename: Takeyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kurihara
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Asaoka
authors.forename: Sadao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tamada
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D000077731:Meropenem; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011897:Random Allocation; D013845:Thienamycins / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D013845:Thienamycins; D000077731:Meropenem