Antimicrobials
Meropenem

Meropenem

Medium
N/A
$20.8/day

Dosing

General Information

  • Documented infections due to organisms producing inducible β-lactamases or Extended-Spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) resistant to alternate agents.
  • Empiric Treatment of life-threatening infections where multi-drug resistant organisms suspected (i.e. severe sepsis, neutropenic patient with absolute neutrophil count < 0.5)
  • Therapy of P. aeruginosa infections where other agents cannot be used due to allergy or toxicity
  • Therapy of documented or suspected infections due to MRSA, Enterococcus spp., Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Chlamydia spp. and Mycoplasma spp.
  • Treatment of infections due to organisms susceptible to less costly and/or narrower-spectrum agents

Therapy of serious, often nosocomial infections involving resistant gram negative organisms

  • Immediate and delayed-type allergy
  • GI disturbance
  • Cytopenias, positive Coombs
  • Liver enzyme abnormalities
  • Carbapenems may cause rapid and profound decrease in valproic acid levels
  • Increasing valproic acid dosage is often NOT sufficient to overcome this interaction
  • Avoid this combination if at all possible

IV Administration: Dilute in 100 mL D5W or NS and administer over 30 min

Antimicrobial class: Carbapenem

Pregnancy category: B

Average serum half life: 1 hour

Biliary penetration: Therapeutic

CSF penetration: Moderate

Lung penetration: Therapeutic

Urine penetration: Therapeutic