Description of the use of ertapenem in a high complexity public hospital in Medellin, Colombia

Descripción del uso de ertapenem en un hospital público de alta complejidad en Medellín, Colombia

Objective: to describe the use of ertapenem along with the clinical and microbiological characteristics of patients during their admission to a fourth-level health care facility in Medellin, Colombia between 2009 and 2012.  Materials and Methods: a descriptive retrospective study on patients that were given antibiotic therapy with ertapenem. Results: 1390 clinical charts were reviewed, selecting 835 according to selection criteria. Ertapenem was prescribed in 36,9% for urinary tract infections and 28,1% for intraabdominal infections; 60% of the patients were located on general wards at the time of treatment with ertapenem. Microbiological cultures were performed for 84% of patients and 80% of those were positive, with 42,5% E. coli, 24,3% K. pneumoniae and 5,8% P. mirabilis. Extended spectrum betalactamases were found in 39,8% of the E. coli and 57% K. pneumoniae strains. Susceptibility of E. coli strains to ertapenem was 96,6% and 94,4% for K. pneumoniae. Conclusions: Ertapenem offers favorable results when used for the treatment of urinary tract and intraabdominal infections. It is an alternative for empirical management of infections acquired outside the hospital setting, and and as directed therapy in hospital infections.