Meropenem indications and usage

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Meropenem
MERREM® FDA Package Insert
Description
Clinical Pharmacology
Microbiology
Indications and Usage
Contraindications
Warnings
Precautions
Adverse Reactions
Overdosage
Clinical Studies
Dosage and Administration
Compatibility, Reconstitution, and Stability
How Supplied
Labels and Packages

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Sheng Shi, M.D. [2]

Indications and Usage

To reduce the development of drug-resistant bacteria and maintain the effectiveness of MERREM I.V. and other antibacterial drugs, MERREM I.V. should only be used to treat or prevent infections that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by susceptible bacteria. When culture and susceptibility information are available, they should be considered in selecting or modifying antibacterial therapy. In the absence of such data, local epidemiology and susceptibility patterns may contribute to the empiric selection of therapy.

MERREM I.V. is useful as presumptive therapy in the indicated condition (e.g., intra-abdominal infections) prior to the identification of the causative organisms because of its broad spectrum of bactericidal activity.

Skin and Skin Structure Infections (Adult Patients and Pediatric Patients ≥ 3 Months only)

MERREM I.V. is indicated as a single agent therapy for the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections due to Staphylococcus aureus (methicillin-susceptible isolates only), Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus agalactiae, viridans group streptococci, Enterococcus faecalis (vancomycin-resistant isolates), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Bacteroides fragilis, and Peptostreptococcus species.

Intra-abdominal Infections (Adult Patients and Pediatric Patients ≥ 3 Months only)

MERREM I.V. is indicated as a single agent therapy for the treatment of complicated appendicitis and peritonitis caused by viridans group streptococci, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacteroides fragilis, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, and Peptostreptococcus species.

Bacterial Meningitis (Pediatric patients ≥3 months only)

MERREM I.V. is indicated as a single agent therapy for the treatment of bacterial meningitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Neisseria meningitidis.

The efficacy of meropenem as monotherapy in the treatment of meningitis caused by penicillin nonsusceptible isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae has not been established.

MERREM I.V. has been found to be effective in eliminating concurrent bacteremia in association with bacterial meningitis.[1]

References

  1. "http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2008/050706s022lbl.pdf" (PDF). External link in |title= (help)

Adapted from the FDA Package Insert.