BACKGROUND The empirical treatment of febrile, neutropenic patients with cancer requires antibacterial regimens active against both gram-positive and gram-negative pathogens. This study was performed to demonstrate the noninferiority of monotherapy with piperacillin-tazobactam, compared with cefepime. METHODS We conducted a randomized-controlled, open-label, multicenter clinical trial among h...

Genetic and functional characterization of the cephalosporinases produced by 65 clonally unrelated clinical Escherichia coli isolates revealed genetic diversity of the ampC genes and showed that Gln287, Cys287, Pro296, Leu298, and Phe350 substitutions were involved in extension of the hydrolysis spectrum to include ceftazidime and cefepime.

The activities of cefepime and amikacin alone or in combination against an isogenic pair of Enterobacter cloacae strains (wild type and stably derepressed, ceftazidime-resistant mutant) were compared using an experimental model of pneumonia in non-leucopenic rats. Animals were infected by administering 8.4 log10 cfu of E. cloacae intratracheally, and therapy was initiated 12 h later. At that ti...

OBJECTIVES The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) in AmpC-carrying Enterobacter spp. in a tertiary care university hospital in Vienna, Austria, and to implement a cost-effective strategy to detect ESBLs in this particular genus on a routine basis. METHODS Clinical Enterobacter isolates (n=208) were investigated by means of (i) an i...

INTRODUCTION We aimed to describe the in vivo efficacy of meropenem, in addition to cefepime and levofloxacin as comparators against VIM-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa and compare the findings to our previous observations with Enterobacteriaceae. METHODS Eight clinical P. aeruginosa isolates with meropenem MICs from 4 to 512 mg/L were studied in a murine neutropenic thigh infection model. A...

Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP) is a rare cutaneous rash characterized by widespread sterile nonfollicular pustules. Cefepime is a fourth generation cephalosporin, used to treat severe infections. A 67-year-old man was admitted with acute gastroenterocolitis. On the seventh day, the patient developed a nosocomial pneumonia and cefepime was initiated. On the fourth day of cepha...

Serious bacterial infections with their high bioburden are often difficult to treat. Emergence of drug-resistant bacteria has worsened the situation, and management of these cases has become a therapeutic challenge. Prompt institution of appropriate antibiotic is vital in order to decrease complications and fatalities. Cefepime is a new fourth generation parenteral cephalosporin which holds pro...