Premium
Imipenem/cilastatin therapy of infections in cancer patients
Author(s) -
Bodey Gerald P.,
Elting Linda,
Jones Paula,
Alvarez Maria Elena,
Rolston Kenneth,
Fainstein Victor
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19870715)60:2<255::aid-cncr2820600224>3.0.co;2-l
Subject(s) - imipenem , medicine , imipenem/cilastatin , cilastatin , antibiotics , cancer , surgery , microbiology and biotechnology , antibiotic resistance , biology
Imipenem/cilastatin was administered during 153 febrile episodes occurring in cancer patients and the response rate was 68%. Considering only documented infections the response rate was 71%. Patients who received imipenem as initial therapy had a higher response rate than patients who received it after failing other antibiotics (77% versus 68%). The overall response rates for septicentias and pneumonias were 75% and 58%. Among the 57 gram‐negative infections 77% responded, but the response rate was substantially higher if imipenem was used as initial therapy (94% versus 69%). The poorest response rate was observed when imipenem was given as secondary therapy for Pseudomonas infections (50%), but most of these patients had failed to respond to other appropriate antibiotics. The only serious side effect was seizures which occurred in ten patients, although eight of them had other predisposing factors. Imipenem appears to be a useful antibiotic for treatment of infections, even in neutropenic cancer patients.