Meropenem as empirical therapy in moderate to severe infections in hospitalized children aged 3 to 12 months and 1 to 14 years

The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy, dose and tolerability of treatment with meropenem in children with moderate to severe infections. An observational, multicenter, prospective study of 258 children was conducted. Two cohorts (81 under the age of 1 year, and 177 aged 1 to 14 years) were followed up at 48 hours, at the end of treatment, and 1 week later. Nosocomial infections were present in 37.5% of the children aged 1 to 14 years, and in 79.7% of those younger than 1 year of age (p < 0.001). A total of 79% received 20 mg/kg/8 h of meropenem; 43.8% received combination treatment with antifungal agents, glycopeptides or both. At 48 hours, 77.4% showed a clinical improvement; 74.2% were clinically cured at the end of treatment, and 77.5% at 1 week after the end of treatment. The clinical outcome was similar in both groups. Eradication or negative control cultures were found in 76.8%, with no difference between the two age groups. No major adverse events were reported, except for one case of pancytopenia after 2 days of treatment in a patient with a transplanted liver.