Standard Versus Prolonged Doripenem Infusion for Treatment of Gram-Negative Infections:

BACKGROUNDDoripenem is the most recently introduced carbapenem, with a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity. Preliminary data indicated that activity is optimized by maximizing the time that serum concentration remains above the minimum inhibitory concentration; however, limited clinical data are available to support this approach.OBJECTIVETo compare clinical outcomes before and after implementation of a hospital-wide initiative extending the duration of infusion for doripenem from 1 hour (standard) to 4 hours (prolonged).METHODSThis retrospective, quasi-experimental study compared clinical outcomes associated with doripenem administered as a 1-hour infusion versus a 4-hour infusion for treatment of suspected or documented infections caused by gram-negative organisms. Outcomes were assessed for the entire cohort, as well as for the subpopulation of patients admitted to the intensive care unit.RESULTSTwo hundred patients were included; 106 patients received doripenem via standard infusion and 94 patien...