Efficacy of the Extended Administration of Tazobactam/Piperacillin for Patients with Suspected Bacteremia

Abstract

The methods of administering the chemical antibiotic agent TAZ/PIPC were investigated through PK/PD analysis, in order to promote an improved efficacy of the drug. The subjects were patients with suspected bacteremia who received rapid (30 -60 min, n = 24) and extended (4 hr, n = 33) administrations of TAZ/PIPC. The clinical outcomes in the two groups were analyzed and compared to evaluate the ef cacy of the two methods of administration. An analysis of WBC, CRP, and body temperature on the 7 -9th day of administration revealed no signi cant difference between the two groups in terms of the decrease in each parameter. However, 67 of the patients with a SIRS score 3 in the extended administration (n = 18) group showed improvement in at least two of the three parameters, compared to only 33 of those in the rapid administration group (n = 12). Thus, there was a marginally higher rate of improvement in the extended administration group (P = 0.073) than in the rapid administration group. Similarly, among the patients with a SIRS score ≥ 3, CRP improved signi cantly in the extended administration group on the 7 -9th day of administration (P = 0.0042). These results suggest that extended administration of TAZ/PIPC may improve clinical outcomes more effectively than rapid administration in patients with severe bacteremia.