Evaluation of a Multi-Hospital Cooperative Study on the Efficacy and Safety of Panipenem/Betamipron (PAPM/BP) on Elderly Patients of Respiratory Infections

Abstract

The efficacy and safety of Panipenem/Betamipron(PAPM/BP)on elderly patients of respiratory infections was examined at 17 hospitals in a cooperative study. Among the 95 case, we examined the efficacy of the medication in 86 cases, and the safety in all 95 cases. Efficacy was confirmed in 81.3% of pneumonia patients, 57.7% of secondary-infection patients of chronic respiratory diseases, and 74.4 % of the total. No significant difference was observed among each group according to age, comparing patients ≥65 years old grouped by 5 years, or when broadly comparing groups <>75 years and ≥75 years of age. The microbiological efficacy was 100% for Streptococcus pneumoniae, 80% for Staphylococcus aureus, 80% in Klebsiella pneumoniae; therefore, a very good disappearance rate of symptoms could be obtained in all major respiratory etiologic agents except Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
In this study, we also examined other factors considered to affect the course of treatment for elderly patients of infectious diseases, namely the presence or absence of underlying diseases, the distinctness of infectious symptoms, the patient's condition before the appearance of infectious symptoms, and previous history of treatment with antimicrobial agents.
For safety, the incidence rate of side effects was 14.7%, which was similar to the 16.9% in the developmental study. These two findings were also similar in content. No significant difference was observed among each age group, comparing patients ≥65 years old grouped by 5 years, or comparing groups >75 years and ≥75 years of age.
From the above evaluation, we consider PAPM/BP to be an effective drug for normal adult patients as well as elderly patients of respiratory infections.