Meropenem Essay

978 Words2 Pages

Bacterial infections are a problem among people of all ages and populations for centuries. Bacterial infections differ from viral infections, flu or cold. Meropenem is newer to the market than many other medications, as it was only approved by the FDA on June 24, 1996. Meropenem treats complicated intra-abdominal infections and skin and skin structure infections (2). These types of treatments are for both adults and children and are also used for children with bacterial meningitis. “To reduce the development of drug-resistant bacteria and maintain the effectiveness of Merrem I.V. [Meropenem] and other antibacterial drugs, Merrem I.V. [Meropenem]. should only be used to treat or prevent infections that are proven or strongly suspected to be …show more content…

Meropenem will inhibit cell wall formation and facilitate bacteria cell lysis. Its primary function is a bactericidal agent. It will inhibit the third and final stage of a bacterial cells wall. Meropenem binds to specific penicillin-binding proteins located inside the bacterial cell wall. Meropenem attacks the gram negative bacteria binding sites between carbapenems. There are four mechanisms of carbapenem resistance. They decrease the permeability of the outer membrane of Gram-negative organisms, decrease affinity for the target penicillin-binding proteins, over-expression of efflux pumps, and enzymatic degradation …show more content…

One study that was conducted was on a series of 515 patients. These patients were greater than or equal to 3 months of age but less than 13 years of age. They were being treated for serious bacterial infections. These patients were given 10 to 20 mg/kg of Meropenem every 8 hours. The most common results seen were diarrhea, rash, nausea, and vomiting. Another stody of 321 pediatric patients with the age range starting from 3 months but less than 17 years of age with meningitis were given 40mg/kg of Meropenem every 8 hours. These resulting side effects include diarrhea, rash, oral monilasis, and flossitis. When looking at the adult patients there was a test of 2904 immunocompetent patients. These patients were given 500mg to 1,000mg of Meropenem ever 8 hours. There were 5 deaths, 36 patients were stopped with treatment due to adverse events, and many patients were severely ill and had other background diseases (1). Some of the major adverse reactions include inflammation at the injection site, injection site reaction, phlebitis/thrombophlebitis, pain at injection site, and edema at the injection site. Other common side effects were diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, constipation, other GI-related events, anorexia, flatulence, ileus, dyspepsia, and GI obstruction. Another major concern with taking this medication is the potential for seizures, mostly seen in patients who have central

More about Meropenem Essay

Open Document