In Vitro Activity of Carbapenems Alone and in Combination With Amikacin Against KPC-Producing Klebsiella Pneumoniae
2011

Combining Carbapenems and Amikacin Against KPC-Producing Klebsiella Pneumoniae

Sample size: 4 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Jennifer Le, Barbara McKee, Warunee Srisupha-Olarn, David S. Burgess

Primary Institution: University of California, San Diego

Hypothesis

Can the combination of carbapenems and amikacin effectively treat KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae?

Conclusion

The combination of meropenem or imipenem with amikacin showed synergistic activity against KPC-3-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates.

Supporting Evidence

  • All isolates were resistant to carbapenems and amikacin.
  • Synergy was demonstrated for meropenem and imipenem in combination with amikacin.
  • None of the antibiotics alone achieved significant bactericidal activity.

Takeaway

Using two antibiotics together can help fight off superbugs that are hard to treat. In this study, mixing certain antibiotics worked better against a tough germ.

Methodology

Time-kill studies were performed to evaluate the effectiveness of carbapenems and amikacin against clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Limitations

The study was limited to in vitro conditions and may not directly translate to clinical outcomes.

Participant Demographics

Four non-duplicate clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae were used.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.4021/jocmr551w

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