Bacteriological and clinical studies of panipenem/betamipron in pediatrics

We carried out bacteriological and clinical studies of panipenem/betamipron (PAPM/BP), a newly-developed carbapenem antibiotic, in pediatrics, and the following results were obtained: 1. When antibacterial activities of panipenem (PAPM) were determined, it was found that MICs against such Gram-positive cocci as Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae and against such Gram-negative rods as Escherichia coli, Haemophilus influenzae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Branhamella catarrhalis were all sufficiently low. 2. PAPM showed better MIC-correlated antibacterial activities against 215 subcultured strains of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) than imipenem. 3. Clinical efficacies were evaluated to be excellent in 23 of 34 patients treated with PAPM/ BP, excluding 3 patients from the efficacy evaluation. In addition, good responses were obtained in 10 patients but poor response in one, showing the overall efficacy rate of 97.1%. As for bacteriological efficacies, the eradication rate was also determined to be high, 92.6%. 4. As for side effects, rash appeared in 2 patients, and soft stool and diarrhea occurred in one each. The overall incidence of side effects was calculated to be 10.8%. As for abnormal laboratory findings, increases of eosinophiles in 4 patients, thrombocytes in 2, total bilirubin in 1, and GOT in 1 were observed. From these results, PAPM/BP was thought to be a highly useful drug in pediatrics.