title: Extended or continuous versus short-term intravenous infusion of cephalosporins: a meta-analysis.
abstract: The authors sought to study whether extended or continuous infusion of cephalosporins is associated with better clinical outcomes than short-term infusion. PubMed and Scopus databases were systematically searched. Studies reporting the clinical outcomes of patients receiving extended or continuous infusion (≥3 or 24 h, respectively) versus short-term infusion (≤1 h) of cephalosporins were considered eligible. Eleven studies (1250 clinically evaluable patients) were included. Clinical cure and mortality were not statistically different between the compared groups (risk ratio: 1.14; 95% CI: 0.94-1.37 and risk ratio: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.80-1.15, respectively). This meta-analysis did not show a difference in clinical cure or mortality regarding extended or continuous versus short-term intravenous infusion of cephalosporins. However, in most of the included studies, patients in the extended/continuous infusion group received a substantially lower total dosage of antibiotic than those in the short-term group for the total duration of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Alfa Institute of Biomedical Sciences, 9 Neapoleos Street, 151 23 Marousi, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioanna P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Korbila
authors.forename: Giannoula S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Tansarli
authors.forename: Drosos E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Karageorgopoulos
authors.forename: Konstantinos Z
authors.initials: KZ
authors.lastname: Vardakas
authors.forename: Matthew E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Falagas
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016206:Databases, Bibliographic; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002511:Cephalosporins