Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Tazobactam”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Inhibition of beta-lactamases by tazobactam and in-vitro antibacterial activity of tazobactam combined with piperacillin.

The in-vitro synergistic activity of tazobactam, a new beta-lactamase inhibitor, combined with piperacillin was tested against various beta-lactamase-producing strains. The beta-lactamase inhibitory activity of tazobactam against various known types of beta-lactamase was also tested in comparison with clavulanic acid or sulbactam. Tazobactam caused a remarkable reduction of the piperacillin MICs for penicillinase- and oxyiminocephalosporinase-producing strains and also showed a moderate synergistic effect against cephalosporinase-producing strains. The bactericidal activity of piperacillin was enhanced in combination with tazobactam. Tazobactam inhibited the penicillinases, and the oxyiminocephalosporinase produced by Proteus vulgaris, at low concentration. In these cases its activity was comparable with that of clavulanic acid and stronger than that of sulbactam. Tazobactam demonstrated a better inhibitory capability than sulbactam against the cephalosporinases tested. Tazobactam was able to inactivate intracellular beta-lactamase in Prot. vulgaris and Morganella morganii, confirming its ability to penetrate the cell membrane of these species.

Bacteria↗

Impact of tazobactam pharmacokinetics on the antimicrobial effect of piperacillin-tazobactam combinations.

Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) modelling was used to study the impact of the pharmacokinetics of tazobactam on the antimicrobial effect of piperacillin-tazobactam combinations. An in vitro experiment using a novel dilution system was performed to compare the effects of two conditions of the combination therapy against Escherichia coli ATCC35218, a beta-lactamase producing bacterium. Both conditions simulated the same initial concentrations of piperacillin and tazobactam, but different elimination half-lives for tazobactam. The killing and regrowth kinetics of E. coli clearly indicated that there is a difference in the antimicrobial effects when there is a difference in the pharmacokinetics of tazobactam in the combination therapy. The results show that for equal piperacillin exposure, different tazobactam half-lives will have a significant effect on antimicrobial outcome.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

[A national multicenter study of the in-vitro activity of piperacillin-tazobactam. The Spanish Piperacillin-Tazobactam Group].

The action of piperacillin-tazobactam on 4,137 of the 4,364 strains collected in a Spanish multicenter study involving 46 participating hospitals was studied. The samples were from the following: 41% urine, 18% exuded from wound abscesses, 13% respiratory, 9% blood, 3% peritoneal liquid, and the remainder from other various sources. The gram-negative bacteria included 2,778 strains from 13 genera: Escherichia (1,289), Pseudomonas (451), Proteus (230), Klebsiella (203), Haemophilus (172), Enterobacter (145), Acinetobacter (88), Salmonella (60), Bacteroides (57), Morganella (53), Serratia (46), Citrobacter (46), Stenotrophonomas (23) and Moraxella (21). The gram-positive bacteria were S. aureus (316), E. faecalis (239), S. epidermis (130), S. pneumoniae (115) and Clostridium spp. (12). The global susceptibility of the gram-negatives to piperacillin-tazobactam was 94%: E. coli 98%, P. aeruginosa 92%, and P. mirabilis, Morganella, K. pneumoniae, Serratia and Salmonella spp. all greater than 94%. The susceptibility of other bacteria was as follows: 91% Citrobacter, 77% E. cloacae, 42% A. baumannii, 61% S. maltophilia, 97% E. faecalis, 93% S. epidermidis, 100% M. catarrhalis, 99% H. influenzae and 100% anaerobic bacteria. The action on S. pneumoniae and S. aureus varied according to the susceptibility or lack there of to penicillin or methicillin. In comparison to other antibiotics (piperacillin, cefoxitin, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, cefepime, imipenem and ciprofloxacin), piperacillin-tazobactam was far better than piperacillin alone and better or similar to the others.

Bacteria↗

Pharmacokinetics and tissue penetration of tazobactam and piperacillin in patients undergoing colorectal surgery.

The pharmacokinetics of tazobactam and piperacillin in plasma and different tissues after a 30-min intravenous infusion of 4 g of piperacillin and 0.5 g of tazobactam were investigated in 18 patients who underwent elective colorectal surgery. Serial blood samples were collected for up to 6 h after the initiation of the infusion. The types of tissue collected were fatty tissue, muscle, skin, appendix, and intestinal mucosa (proximal and distal). On the basis of concentrations in plasma, the following pharmacokinetic parameter values were obtained (values are means +/- standard deviations): maximum concentration of drug in serum, tazobactam, 27.9 +/- 7.67 micrograms/ml; piperacillin, 259 +/- 81.8 micrograms/ml; time to maximum concentration of drug in serum, tazobactam, 0.51 +/- 0.03 h; piperacillin, 0.51 +/- 0.03 h; area under the concentration-time curve, tazobactam, 47.6 +/- 13.3 micrograms.h/ml; piperacillin, 361 +/- 80.3 micrograms.h/ml; clearance, tazobactam, 188 +/- 52.3 ml/min; piperacillin, 194 +/- 42.9 ml/min; half-life, tazobactam, 1.42 +/- 0.32 h; piperacillin, 1.27 +/- 0.24 h; apparent volume of distribution, tazobactam, 0.31 +/- 0.07 liter/kg of body weight; piperacillin, 0.29 +/- 0.06 liter/kg; volume of distribution at steady state, tazobactam, 0.28 +/- 0.04 liter/kg; piperacillin, 0.25 +/- 0.05 liter/kg. The concentrations of tazobactam and piperacillin in fatty tissue and muscle tissue were 10 to 13 and 18 to 30% of the levels in plasma, respectively. In skin, the concentrations of piperacillin were 60 to 95% of the levels in plasma, whereas the concentrations of tazobactam in plasma were 49 to 93% of the levels in skin tissue. The mean concentration of tazobactam in the investigated gastrointestinal tissues (appendix, proximal and distal mucosa) exceeded levels in plasma after 1 h, while piperacillin showed a mean penetration into these tissues of 43 and 53%. The mechanisms that can be used to explain the extent of penetration of piperacillin and tazobactam are discussed. Simple diffusion may take place in fatty and muscle tissue, while penetration into skin and gastrointestinal tissue is governed by more complex mechanisms which lead to differences in penetration between piperacillin and tazobactam. For all tissues investigated (except fatty tissue), the time course of the concentrations of both compounds was similar, with a peak in concentration at between 1 and 2 h after the start of infusion followed by a decline of concentrations that were almost parallel to the curves of the drug concentrations in plasma. In plasma and in all investigated tissues, piperacillin as well as tazobactam reached or exceeded the concentrations found to be effective in vitro.

Adipose Tissue↗

Risk factors for piperacillin-tazobactam-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa among hospitalized patients.

Antimicrobial resistance is an emerging problem with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This study determined risk factors for the recovery of piperacillin-tazobactam-resistant P. aeruginosa from clinical cultures from hospitalized patients. A case-control study design was used to compare two groups of case patients with control patients. The first group of case patients was defined by nosocomial isolation of piperacillin-tazobactam-resistant P. aeruginosa, and the second group of cases yielded piperacillin-tazobactam-susceptible P. aeruginosa. Controls were selected in a 6:1 ratio from the same medical or surgical services among which piperacillin-tazobactam-resistant P. aeruginosa arose in patients. Risk factors analyzed included antimicrobial drug exposure, comorbid conditions, and demographics. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were performed. Piperacillin-tazobactam-resistant P. aeruginosa was isolated from 179 patients, and piperacillin-tazobactam-susceptible P. aeruginosa was isolated from 624 patients over a 2.5-year period. Piperacillin-tazobactam (odds ratio [OR] = 6.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.56 to 10.21), imipenem (OR = 2.42; 95% CI, 1.19 to 4.94), aminoglycosides (OR = 2.18; 95% CI, 1.44 to 3.28), vancomycin (OR = 1.87; 95% CI, 1.21 to 2.89), and broad-spectrum cephalosporins (OR = 2.38; 95% CI, 1.45 to 3.88) were the antibiotics associated with the isolation of piperacillin-tazobactam-resistant P. aeruginosa. Exposure to vancomycin (OR = 1.53; 95% CI, 1.13 to 2.06) or ampicillin-sulbactam (OR = 2.28; 95% CI, 1.62 to 3.21) was associated with recovery of piperacillin-tazobactam-susceptible P. aeruginosa. In this study, antibiotics associated with piperacillin-tazobactam-susceptible P. aeruginosa were different from antibiotics associated with piperacillin-tazobactam-resistant P. aeruginosa. Piperacillin-tazobactam was a strong risk factor for piperacillin-tazobactam-resistant P. aeruginosa. Our results suggest that the nosocomial isolation of piperacillin-tazobactam-resistant P. aeruginosa may be affected by multiple antibiotics.

Adult↗

Prospective randomized comparison of imipenem-cilastatin and piperacillin-tazobactam in nosocomial pneumonia or peritonitis.

Nosocomial pneumonia and acute peritonitis may be caused by a wide array of pathogens, and combination therapy is often recommended. We have previously shown that imipenem-cilastatin monotherapy was as efficacious as the combination of imipenem-cilastatin plus netilmicin in these two settings. The efficacy of imipenem-cilastatin is now compared to that of piperacillin-tazobactam as monotherapy in patients with nosocomial pneumonia or acute peritonitis. Three hundred seventy one patients with nosocomial pneumonia or peritonitis were randomly assigned to receive either imipenem-cilastatin (0.5 g four times a day) or piperacillin-tazobactam (4.5 g three times a day). Three hundred thirteen were assessable (154 with nosocomial pneumonia and 159 with peritonitis). For nosocomial pneumonia, clinical-failure rates in the piperacillin-tazobactam group (13 of 75 [17%]) and in the imipenem-cilastatin group (23 of 79 [29%]) were similar (P = 0.09), as were the numbers of deaths due to infection (6 in the imipenem-cilastatin group [8%], 7 in the piperacillin-tazobactam group [9%]) (P = 0.78). For acute peritonitis, clinical success rates were comparable (piperacillin-tazobactam, 72 of 76 [95%]; imipenem-cilastatin, 77 of 83 [93%]). For infections due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 45 patients had nosocomial pneumonia (21 in the piperacillin-tazobactam group and 24 in the imipenem-cilastatin group) and 10 had peritonitis (5 in each group). In the patients with nosocomial pneumonia, clinical failure was less frequent in the piperacillin-tazobactam group (2 of 21 [10%]) than in the imipenem-cilastatin [corrected] group (12 of 24 [50%]) (P = 0.004). Bacterial resistance to allocated regimen was the main cause of clinical failure (1 in the piperacillin-tazobactam group and 12 in the imipenem-cilastatin group). For the patients with peritonitis, no difference in clinical outcome was observed (five of five cured in each group). The overall frequencies of adverse events related to treatment in the two groups were similar (24 in the piperacillin-tazobactam group, 22 in the imipenem-cilastatin group). Diarrhea was significantly more frequent in the piperacillin-tazobactam group (10 of 24) than in the imipenem-cilastatin group (2 of 22). This study suggests that piperacillin-tazobactam monotherapy is at least as effective and safe as imipenem-cilastatin monotherapy in the treatment of nosocomial pneumonia or peritonitis. In P. aeruginosa pneumonia, piperacillin-tazobactam achieved a better clinical efficacy than imipenem-cilastatin, due to reduced development of microbiological resistance. Tolerance was comparable, with the exception of diarrhea, which was more frequent with piperacillin-tazobactam.

Acute Disease↗

Pharmacokinetics of tazobactam M1 metabolite after administration of piperacillin/tazobactam in subjects with renal impairment.

Tazobactam is a new derivative of penicillinic acid sulfone, which functions as an irreversible inhibitor of many beta-lactamases. The disposition of tazobactam M1 metabolite after intravenous (i.v.) infusion of 3 g of piperacillin/0.375 g of tazobactam was evaluated in 26 subjects with various degrees of renal impairment. Participants in the study were 18 subjects with creatinine clearances (ClCR) ranging from 7.4-41.8 mL/min, 4 subjects maintained on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), and 4 subjects undergoing chronic hemodialysis (HD). The pharmacokinetic parameters of piperacillin and tazobactam were evaluated and were similar to previous reports. Tazobactam M1 metabolite maximum plasma concentration increased as renal function declined. The terminal elimination half-life and area under the plasma concentration-time curve of the tazobactam M1 metabolite increased as renal function declined. The mean rate of recovery of the tazobactam M1 metabolite in hemodialysate during a 3- to 4.2-hour HD session 1 hour after the i.v. infusion of piperacillin/tazobactam was 25.3%. However, when HD was performed at 36-48 hours after the i.v. infusion, 57.6% of the tazobactam dose was recovered as M1 metabolite, suggesting further conversion of tazobactam to M1 metabolite. Peritoneal dialysis removed 15.8% (n = 2) of the tazobactam dose as the M1 metabolite. Using a dose of 3 g of piperacillin/0.375 g of tazobactam, the predicted maximum steady-state plasma concentrations of the tazobactam M1 metabolite are 14.6 micrograms/mL, 34.8 micrograms/mL, and 48.8 micrograms/mL for subjects with ClCR 20-40 mL/min (every 6 hour dosing), ClCR < 20 mL/min (every 8 hour dosing), and on CAPD (every 12 hour dosing), respectively.

Adult↗

Piperacillin-tazobactam for Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection: clinical implications of an extended-infusion dosing strategy.

BACKGROUND: Piperacillin-tazobactam is frequently used to treat Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in critically ill patients. In an effort to improve clinical outcomes, an extended-infusion dosing scheme for piperacillin-tazobactam therapy was devised using a Monte Carlo simulation and was adopted into clinical practice at Albany Medical Center (Albany, New York). This study evaluates the clinical implications of extended infusion of piperacillin-tazobactam therapy for critically ill patients with P. aeruginosa infection. METHODS: We performed a cohort study of patients who received piperacillin-tazobactam therapy for a P. aeruginosa infection that was susceptible to piperacillin-tazobactam during the period January 2000-June 2004. Prior to February 2002, all patients received intermittent infusions of piperacillin-tazobactam (3.375 g intravenously for 30 min every 4 or 6 h); after this time, all patients received extended infusions of piperacillin-tazobactam (3.375 g intravenously for 4 h every 8 h). Data on demographic characteristics, disease severity, and microbiology were collected, and outcomes were compared between groups. RESULTS: A total of 194 patients comprised the 2 study groups: 102 patients received extended infusions of piperacillin-tazobactam, and 92 patients received intermittent infusions of piperacillin-tazobactam. No differences in baseline clinical characteristics were noted between the 2 groups. Among patients with Acute Physiological and Chronic Health Evaluation-II scores > or =17, 14-day mortality rate was significantly lower among patients who received extended-infusion therapy than among patients who received intermittent-infusion therapy (12.2% vs. 31.6%, respectively; P=.04), and median duration of hospital stay after collection of samples for culture was significantly shorter for patients who received extended-infusion therapy than for patients who received intermittent-infusion therapy (21 days vs. 38 days; P=.02).Conclusions. These results indicate that extended-infusion piperacillin-tazobactam therapy is a suitable alternative to intermittent-infusion piperacillin-tazobactam therapy, and they strongly suggest that improved outcomes may be realized by administering extended-infusion piperacillin-tazobactam therapy to critically ill patients with P. aeruginosa infection.

APACHE↗

In vitro pharmacodynamics of piperacillin, piperacillin-tazobactam, and ciprofloxacin alone and in combination against Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The time-kill curve methodology was used to determine the pharmacodynamics of piperacillin, ciprofloxacin, piperacillin-tazobactam and the combinations piperacillin-ciprofloxacin and ciprofloxacin-piperacillin-tazobactam. Kill curve studies were performed for piperacillin, ciprofloxacin, and piperacillin-tazobactam at concentrations of 0.25 to 50 times the MICs for 13 strains of bacteria: four Pseudomonas aeruginosa, three Enterobacter cloacae, three Klebsiella pneumoniae, and three Staphylococcus aureus isolates (tazobactam concentrations of 0.5, 4, and 12 micrograms/ml). By using a sigmoid Emax model and nonlinear least squares regression, the 50% lethal concentrations and the maximum lethal rates of each agent were determined for each bacterial strain. For piperacillin-ciprofloxacin and ciprofloxacin-piperacillin-tazobactam, kill curve studies were performed with concentrations obtained by the fractional maximal effect method (R. C. Li, J. J. Schentag, and D. E. Nix, Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 37:523-531, 1993) and from individual 50% lethal concentrations and maximum lethal rates. Ciprofloxacin-piperacillin-tazobactam was evaluated only against the four P. aeruginosa strains. Interactions between piperacillin and ciprofloxacin were generally additive. At physiologically relevant concentrations of piperacillin and ciprofloxacin, ciprofloxacin had the highest rates of killing against K. pneumoniae. Piperacillin-tazobactam (12 micrograms/ml) had the highest rate of killing against E. cloacae. Piperacillin-ciprofloxacin with relatively higher ciprofloxacin concentrations had the greatest killing rates against S. aureus. This combination had significantly higher killing rates than piperacillin (P < 0.002). For all the bacterial strains tested, killing rates by ciprofloxacin were significantly higher than those by piperacillin-tazobactam (4 and 12 micrograms/ml had significantly higher killing rates than piperacillin alone (P < 0.02 and P < 0.004, respectively). The effect of the combination of piperacillin-ciprofloxacin, in which piperacillin concentrations were relatively higher, was not statistically different from that of piperacillin alone (p > or = 0.71). The combination of ciprofloxacin-piperacillin-tazobactam achieved greater killing than other combinations or monotherapies against P. aeruginosa. The reduction in the initial inoculum was 1 to 4 logs greater with ciprofloxacin-piperacillin-tazobactam at 4 and 12 micrograms/ml than with any other agent or combination of agents. On the basis of the additive effects prevalently demonstrated in the in vitro study, the combinations of piperacillin-ciprofloxacin and piperacillin-tazobactam are rational therapeutic options. Greater killing of P. aeruginosa was demonstrated with ciprofloxacin-piperacillin--tazobactam. Since treatment failure of P. aeruginosa pneumonia is a significant problem, clinical studies are warranted.

Anti-Infective Agents↗

Argentinean collaborative multicenter study on the in vitro comparative activity of piperacillin-tazobactam against selected bacterial isolates recovered from hospitalized patients.

The in vitro activity of piperacillin-tazobactam and several antibacterial drugs commonly used in Argentinean hospitals for the treatment of severe infections was determined against selected but consecutively isolated strains from clinical specimens recovered from hospitalized patients at 17 different hospitals from 9 Argentinean cities from different geographic areas during the period November 2001-March 2002. Out of 418 Enterobacteriaceae included in the Study 84% were susceptible to piperacillin-tazobactam. ESBLs putative producers were isolated at an extremely high rate since among those isolates obtained from patients with hospital acquired infections 56% of Klebsiella pneumoniae, 32% of Proteus mirabilis and 25% Escherichia coli were phenotypically considered as ESBLs producers Notably P.mirabilis is not considered by for screening for ESBL producers. ESBLs producers were 100% susceptible to imipenem and 70% were susceptible to piperacillin-tazobactam whereas more than 50% were resistant to levofloxacin. The isolates considered as amp C beta lactamase putative producers showed 99% susceptibility to carbapenems while 26.7% were resistant to piperacillin-tazobactam and 38.4% to levofloxacin. Noteworthy only 4% of the Enterobacteriaceae isolates were resistant to amikacin. Piperacillin-tazobactam was the most active agent against Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates (MIC(90): 128 microg/ml; 78% susceptibility) but showed poor activity against Acinetobacter spp (MIC(90):>256 microg/ml; 21.7% susceptibility). Only 41.7% Acinetobacter spp isolates were susceptible to ampicillin-sulbactam. Piperacillin-tazobactam inhibited 100% of Haemophilus influenzae isolates (MIC(90) < 0.25 microg/ml) but only 16.6% of them were ampicillin resistant. The activity of piperacillin-tazobactam against oxacillin susceptible Staphylococcus aureus or coagulase negative staphylococci was excellent (MIC(90) 2 microg/ml; 100% susceptibility). Out of 150 enterococci 12 isolates (8%) were identified as E.faecium and only three isolates (2%), 2 E.faecium and 1 E.faecalis were vancomycin resistant. All the enterococci isolates were susceptible to linezolid. Piperacillin-tazobactam showed excellent activity (MIC(90) 2 microg/ml; 92% susceptibility). Regarding pneumococci all the isolates showed MICs of 16 microg/ml for piperacillin-tazobactam. Among 34 viridans group streptococci only 67% were penicillin susceptible and 85.2% ceftriaxone susceptible whereas piperacillin-tazobactam was very active (MIC(90) 4 microg/ml).Piperacillin-tazobactam is therefore a very interesting antibacterial drug to be used, preferably in combination (IE: amikacin-vancomycin) for the empiric treatment of severe infections occurring in hospitalized patients in Argentina. Caution must be taken for infections due to ESBL producers considering that the inoculum effect MICs can affect MIC values.

Adult↗

Comparative in vitro and in vivo activities of piperacillin combined with the beta-lactamase inhibitors tazobactam, clavulanic acid, and sulbactam.

Tazobactam (YTR-830H), a novel beta-lactamase inhibitor, was compared with clavulanic acid and sulbactam for enhancement of the activity of piperacillin against beta-lactamase-producing, piperacillin-resistant clinical isolates. Piperacillin MICs were determined in media containing a fixed concentration of 2 or 4 micrograms of the inhibitors per ml. The higher concentration was generally more effective. Tazobactam was superior to sulbactam in enhancing the spectrum and potency of piperacillin. Although the calvulanic acid combination was more potent, tazobactam was effective for a similar spectrum of resistant gram-negative clinical isolates containing beta-lactamase. MICs were reduced to the susceptible range for Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus spp., Salmonella spp., and Shigella spp. Combinations with tazobactam and sulbactam, but not clavulanic acid, were effective against Morganella spp. Some antagonism of the activity of piperacillin was observed with clavulanic acid but not with tazobactam or sulbactam. The inhibitors were similarly effective with piperacillin against beta-lactamase-positive Staphylococcus spp. and the Bacteroides fragilis group. Piperacillin-tazobactam was more effective against a broader spectrum of gram-negative enteric bacteria than ticarcillin plus clavulanic acid was. Combinations with tazobactam or clavulanic acid had a broader spectrum of activity than combinations with sulbactam against bacteria that produce characterized plasmid-mediated enzymes of clinical significance. In particular, piperacillin with tazobactam or clavulanic acid, but not with sulbactam, inhibited TEM-1, TEM-2, and SHV-1 enzymes. In vitro activity was reflected in vivo. Tazobactam and clavulanic acid were superior to sulbactam in enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of piperacillin in mice infected with beta-lactamase-positive E. coli, K. pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, and Staphylococcus aureus. Only combinations with tazobactam and sulbactam were effective against the Morganella infection. Tazobactam has a good potential for enhancing the clinical efficacy of piperacillin.

Animals↗

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic evaluation of two dosing regimens for piperacillin-tazobactam.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To compare the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles of two dosing regimens for piperacillin-tazobactam against commonly encountered pathogens. The regimens compared were piperacillin 4.0 g-tazobactam 0.5 g administered every 8 hours, and piperacillin 3.0 g-tazobactam 0.375 g administered every 6 hours. DESIGN: Multiple-dose, open-label, randomized, crossover study. SETTING: Clinical research center at Hartford Hospital. SUBJECTS: Twelve healthy volunteers. INTERVENTION: The two dosing regimens for piperacillin-tazobactam were administered intravenously in crossover design. Blood was sampled after the third dose. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Drug concentrations were determined by a validated high-performance liquid chromatography assay. The percentage of time above minimum inhibitory concentration (%T>MIC) for piperacillin was calculated for a range of MIC values. The maximum concentration (Cmax), area under the concentration-time curve (AUC0-tau), and total clearance of piperacillin differed significantly between the two study regimens, as did the Cmax, AUC0-tau, volume of distribution, and total clearance of tazobactam (p<0.05). The piperacillin 4.0 g-tazobactam 0.5 g regimen provided 40-50% T>MIC for MIC values 8-16 microg/ml; a similar value for the piperacillin 3.0 g-tazobactam 0.375 g regimen was 16-32 microg/ml. CONCLUSION: Although statistically significant differences in the pharmacodynamic profile were noted for the regimens, both provide adequate T>MIC against commonly encountered pathogens considered susceptible to piperacillin-tazobactam. However, for treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, combination therapy or higher-dosage regimens (e.g., piperacillin 3.0 g-tazobactam 0.375 g every 4 hours, piperacillin 4.0 g-tazobactam 0.5 g every 6 hours, or continuous-infusion piperacillin 12 g-tazobactam 1.5 g/day) may be a prudent option when full MIC data are unavailable.

Adolescent↗

Comparative in vitro activities of piperacillin-tazobactam and ticarcillin-clavulanate.

The in vitro activities of ticarcillin, piperacillin, clavulanic acid, tazobactam, ticarcillin-clavulanate, and piperacillin-tazobactam against 819 bacterial isolates were compared. The two beta-lactamase inhibitors, clavulanic acid and tazobactam, had little useful antibacterial activity but enhanced the activities of the penicillins against beta-lactamase-producing strains of Haemophilus influenzae, Branhamella catarrhalis, and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus; all strains were susceptible to both combinations. Both enzyme inhibitors also enhanced the activities of the penicillins against most strains of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Citrobacter diversus, Proteus spp., Providencia spp., and Bacteroides spp. and against occasional strains of Citrobacter freundii, Enterobacter spp., and Serratia marcescens. Clavulanic acid frequently enhanced the activity of ticarcillin against Xanthomonas maltophilia, and tazobactam frequently enhanced the activity of piperacillin against Morganella morganii. Enhancement was observed primarily with strains relatively resistant to the penicillins. In general, clavulanic acid was more effective than tazobactam in enhancing penicillin activity against Klebsiella spp., C. diversus, X. maltophilia, and Bacteroides spp., whereas tazobactam was more effective against Escherichia coli and Proteeae. There was little or no enhancement of activity against Enterococcus faecalis, Aeromonas hydrophila, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas cepacia, or Acinetobacter anitratus. Clavulanic acid occasionally antagonized the activity of ticarcillin against ticarcillin-susceptible members of the family Enterobacteriaceae, but those strains were still considered susceptible to the combination. Tazobactam never antagonized the activity of piperacillin. In a direct comparison of the activities of ticarcillin-clavulanate and piperacillin-tazobactam, the two were equally active against H. influenzae, B. catarrhalis, and S. aureus; the latter was more active against E. faecalis. For relatively susceptible strains of members of the family Enterobacteriaceae, neither combination was predictably more active than the other, but relatively resistant strains were generally more susceptible to piperacillin-tazobactam. Piperacillin-tazobactam was more active than ticarcillin-clavulanate against A. hydrophila, P. aeruginosa, and P. cepacia, similar in activity against A. anitratus, and less active against X. maltophilia and Bacteroides spp.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Pharmacokinetics and tissue penetration of tazobactam administered alone and with piperacillin.

The pharmacokinetics of tazobactam (500 mg) administered intravenously alone were compared with the pharmacokinetics of tazobactam coadministered with piperacillin (4 g), and the penetration into an inflammatory exudate in six healthy males was studied. Piperacillin influenced the pharmacokinetics of tazobactam. The mean levels of tazobactam in plasma at 4 h were 0.6 microgram/ml when it was given alone and 1.2 micrograms/ml when it was given with piperacillin (P = 0.0003). The mean total clearances of tazobactam were 203.5 and 134.2 ml/min (P = 0.035) when it was given alone and with piperacillin, respectively There were no significant differences in the elimination half lives, areas under the concentration-time curve from 0 h to infinity, or volumes of distribution. Inflammatory exudate penetration was rapid, and the mean maximum levels of tazobactam attained were 6.4 and 11.3 micrograms/ml when it was given alone or with piperacillin, respectively (P less than 0.06). The mean percent penetration of tazobactam and the area under the concentration-time curve from 0 h to infinity in inflammatory exudate were greater when tazobactam was given with piperacillin. The mean 24-h urinary recoveries of tazobactam were 63.7% +/- 7.9% when it was given alone and 56.8% +/- 2.7% when it was given with piperacillin. The explanation for the differences in the pharmacokinetics of tazobactam when it was administered alone compared with those when it was given with piperacillin was unclear.

Adult↗

Detection of galactomannan antigenemia in patients receiving piperacillin-tazobactam and correlations between in vitro, in vivo, and clinical properties of the drug-antigen interaction.

Recent case reports describe patients receiving piperacillin-tazobactam who were found to have circulating galactomannan detected by the double sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) system, leading to the false presumption of invasive aspergillosis. Since this property of piperacillin-tazobactam and galactomannan ELISA is not well understood, we investigated the in vitro, in vivo, and clinical properties of this interaction. Among the 12 reconstituted antibiotics representing four classes of antibacterial compounds that are commonly used in immunocompromised patients, piperacillin-tazobactam expressed a distinctively high level of galactomannan antigen in vitro (P = 0.001). After intravenous infusion of piperacillin-tazobactam into rabbits, the serum galactomannan index (GMI) in vivo changed significantly (P = 0.0007) from a preinfusion mean baseline value of 0.27 to a mean GMI of 0.83 by 30 min to slowly decline to a mean GMI of 0.44 24 h later. Repeated administration of piperacillin-tazobactam over 7 days resulted in accumulation of circulating galactomannan to a mean peak GMI of 1.31 and a nadir of 0.53. Further studies revealed that the antigen reached a steady state by the third day of administration of piperacillin-tazobactam. Twenty-six hospitalized patients with no evidence of invasive aspergillosis who were receiving antibiotics and ten healthy blood bank donors were studied for expression of circulating galactomannan. Patients (n = 13) receiving piperacillin-tazobactam had significantly greater mean serum GMI values (0.74 +/- 0.14) compared to patients (n = 13) receiving other antibiotics (0.14 +/- 0.08) and compared to healthy blood bank donors (0.14 +/- 0.06) (P < 0.001). Five (38.5%) of thirteen patients receiving piperacillin-tazobactam had serum GMI values > 0.5 compared to none of thirteen subjects receiving other antibiotics (P = 0.039) and to none of ten healthy blood bank donors (P = 0.046). These data demonstrate that among antibiotics that are commonly used in immunocompromised patients, only piperacillin-tazobactam contains significant amounts of galactomannan antigen in vitro, that in animals receiving piperacillin-tazobactam circulating galactomannan antigen accumulates in vivo to significantly increased and sustained levels, and that some but not all patients receiving this antibiotic will demonstrate circulating galactomannan above the threshold considered positive for invasive aspergillosis by the recently licensed double sandwich ELISA.

Animals↗

Susceptibility of beta-lactamase-producing enterococci to piperacillin with tazobactam.

The in vitro activity of piperacillin with and without tazobactam was evaluated against different inocula of 12 clinical isolates of beta-lactamase-producing Enterococcus faecalis obtained from different geographic areas. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of piperacillin alone at approximately 10(3) colony-forming units (CFU)/spot ranged from 4 to 8 and from 4 to 8 micrograms/ml with piperacillin plus tazobactam. When approximately 10(7) CFU/spot was used, MICs increased to a range of 128-1024 micrograms/ml piperacillin. This inoculum effect was reversed by the addition of tazobactam to piperacillin at a fixed concentration of 1 microgram/ml or at a ratio of 8 : 1 (piperacillin relative to tazobactam) with an MIC90 of 16/2 micrograms/ml for the combination drug. In time-kill studies, four beta-lactamase-producing (Bla+) isolates were tested and demonstrated a decrease of > or = 2 log10 with 8 or 16 micrograms/ml of piperacillin in combination with 4 micrograms of tazobactam, but not with piperacillin alone. A non-beta-lactamase-producing isolate was equally inhibited by piperacillin alone and piperacillin plus tazobactam. Against a Bla+ isolate, the combination of piperacillin with tazobactam with streptomycin resulted in a synergistic effect relative to that of piperacillin with tazobactam; piperacillin plus streptomycin did not show synergism. Piperacillin in combination with tazobactam is active against enterococci that produce beta-lactamase and, in combination with an appropriate aminoglycoside, could be a viable choice for therapy of enterococci that do not have high-level resistance to all aminoglycosides.

Culture Media↗

Increased in vitro activity of ceftriaxone by addition of tazobactam against clinical isolates of anaerobes.

A total of 461 clinical strains of anaerobes were tested using a broth microdilution test to determine the activity of the combination of ceftriaxone and tazobactam and other antimicrobials against these isolates. Ceftriaxone was combined with tazobactam in ratios of 1:1, 2:1, 4:1, and 8:1 and twofold dilutions of ceftriaxone in constant concentrations to tazobactam of 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 micrograms/ml. Against beta-lactamase-producing strains of the Bacteroides fragilis group, B. capillosus, and Prevotella species all combinations of ceftriaxone and tazobactam showed enhanced in vitro activity and were eight- to 2048-fold more active than ceftriaxone alone. By comparison ceftriaxone and tazobactam showed superior or equal activity to ampicillin and sulbactam, piperacillin and tazobactam, amoxicillin and clavulanate, ticarcillin and clavulanate, and metronidazole against these same strains. Against beta-lactamase nonproducing strains of Porphyromonas, Fusobacterium, Clostridium, Eubacterium, Peptostreptococcus, and Veillonella parvula the addition of tazobactam produced no appreciable enhanced ceftriaxone activity. Fixed concentrations of tazobactam at 2 and 4 micrograms/ml appear to be most suitable for susceptibility testing and are within the pharmacologic profile of this inhibitor. Pharmacologic and toxicity studies will be needed to define the role of ceftriaxone and tazobactam in infectious diseases.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Comparative antimicrobial activity of piperacillin-tazobactam tested against more than 5000 recent clinical isolates from five medical centers. A reevaluation after five years.

Piperacillin combined with tazobactam at a fixed concentration (4 micrograms/ml) and a ratio (8:1) was tested against 5,029 aerobic isolates and 447 fastidious organisms, including anaerobes. Among the Enterobacteriaceae, > 95% inhibition was shared only by imipenem (99.1% at < or = 4 micrograms/ml), and some newer cephalosporins (95.1% - 99.8% at < or = 8 micrograms/ml), and piperacillin-tazobactam (95.8% at < or = 16/4 micrograms/ml). Piperacillin-tazobactam was the most active agent tested against nonenteric Gram-negative bacilli (93.5% at < or = 8 micrograms/ml). Ampicillin-sulbactam was the most active agent against staphylococci (95.0% at < or = 8 micrograms/ml), followed by imipenem (91.8%), piperacillin-tazobactam (89.3% at < or = 8/4 micrograms/ml), and cefepime (86.2% at < or = 8 micrograms/ml). Against the enterococci, only ampicillin (93.0% at < or = 8 micrograms/ml) with or without sulbactam, piperacillin (91.0% at < or = 16 micrograms/ml) with or without tazobactam, and imipenem (91.0%) had acceptable activity. Piperacillin-tazobactam and imipenem were the most active drugs tested against all aerobic isolates, inhibiting 93.5% of isolates each. Piperacillin-tazobactam inhibited all fastidious isolates tested, including Haemophilus influenzae (MIC90, 0.094/4 micrograms/ml), Moraxella catarrhalis (MIC90, 0.064/4 micrograms/ml), Neisseira gonorrhoeae (MIC90, < or = 0.016/4 micrograms/ml), and Streptococcus pneumoniae (all MICs, < or = 4/4 micrograms/ml). Against the anaerobic isolates, the most broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents tested were imipenem (100.0%), piperacillin-tazobactam (99.5% at < or = 32/4 micrograms/ml), metronidazole (98.4% at < or = 8 micrograms/ml), and ticarcillin-clavulanic acid (95.1% at < or = 32/2 micrograms/ml). These results are nearly identical to a previous study involving the same five medical centers in 1989. Piperacillin-tazobactam appears to remain a highly effective beta-lactamase inhibitor combination with a wide empiric spectrum and potency in teaching hospitals.

Bacteria↗