Abstract
We evaluated the clinical efficacy and safety of meropenem (MEPM) in 31 patients with respiratory tract infection. MEPM was administered to 23 patients with pneumonia, 2 with bronchopneumonia, 4 with exacerbation (bronchiectasis), 1 with lung abscess and 1 with sepsis. The daily dose was 1.0 g and duration was 5-20 days. The following results were obtained.
1) The clinical efficacy of MEPM was excellent in 20, good in 8, fair in 3 and poor in 0.
2) Of 18 strains (13 species) isolated from 13 cases before treatment, 16 were eradicated after treatment, but 1 Pseudomonas sp. strain and 1 Haemophilus sp. strain persisted.
3) A side effect was observed in 1 case (urticaria). As abnormal laboratory findings, elevation of BUN and s-Cr, GPT, s-K eosinophilia were observed in one case each.
The above results suggest that MEPM is a valuable and safe agent for treating respiratory tract infection.
