Clinical effect of 3g/day administration of meropenem on severe pneumonia

We examined the clinical effect of Meropenem (MEPM) on severe pneumonia. We administered 3g of Meropenem daily to 20 patients with severe pneumonia: 8 communityacquired pneumonia patients, 9 nursing and healthcare-associated pneumonia patients, and 3 hospital-acquired pneumonia patients. It was effective in 15 of the 20 patients (75%): 8 of 8 community-acquired pneumonia patients (100%), 6 of 9 nursing and healthcare-associated pneumonia patients (66.6%), and 1 of 3 hospital-acquired pneumonia patients (33.3%). Bacteriologically, 9 of a total of 10 strains (90%) were eradicated: 4 of 4 Streptococcus pneumoniae strains, 2 of 2 methicillin-sensitive Staphlococcus aureus strains, 1 of 2 Enterococcus faecalis strains, 1 of 1 Klebsiella pneumoniae strain, and 1 of 1 Escherichia coli strain. Hepatic dysfunction was observed as a side effect in 8 patients (40%). Based on the above, administration of MEPM daily 3 g is extremely effective for community-acquired pneumonia, while it appears ineffective in many cases of nursing and healthcare-associated pneumonia or hospital-acquired pneumonia, and results in hepatic dysfunction at a high frequency

Clinical effect of sulbactam/ampicillin on community-acquired pneumonia with positive Streptococcus pneumoniae urinary antigen test

We investigated the efficacy of intravenous penicillin (sulbactam/ampicillin: SBT/ABPC) in adult patients with positive Streptococcus pneumoniae urinary antigen test requiring hospitalization. We administered 3g of SBT/ABPC intravenously in the morning and evening for 7-14 days to 32 adult community-acquired pneumonia patients with positive Binax NOW(R) S. pneumoniae urinary antigen. Clinical efficacy, bacteriological efficacy, and side effects of these patients were prospectively examined. We observed clinical efficacy in a total of 28 of 32 patients (87.5%); 24 of 26 moderate patients (92.3%), and four of six severe patients (66.7%). Side effects were drug eruption, increased GOT, increased AMY, and decreased WBC, observed in one patient each; however, all were mild. SBT/ABPC is extremely useful in patients with positive S. pneumoniae urinary antigen test requiring hospitalizatio

Association between ImmunoCard Mycoplasma test and particle agglutination (PA) method in Mycoplasma pneumonia diagnosis

We examined the association between ImmunoCard Mycoplasma test and particle agglutination (PA) method in Mycoplasma pneumonia diagnosis. Subjects were 105 pneumonia patients who were positive for ImmunoCard Mycoplasma test at initial consultation and followed up by PA method using paired sera. The coincidence rates of positive cases of ImmunoCard Mycoplasma test and positive cases of PA method were examined by generation. The results showed that the coincidence rate was 87.5% in aged less than 19 years, 48.8% in aged 20-39 years, 36.4% in aged 40-59 years, 21.1% in aged 60-79 years, and 25.0% in aged 80 or greater, for a total of 44.8% (47 of 105 patients). The results suggested that a positive result for ImmunoCard Mycoplasma test may be due to acute infection in patients aged 19 years or less; however, 50% or more of patients aged 20 years or greater were false positive, which may reflect the presence of past infection