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How to crack drug resistance? The magical effect of carbapenems in bacterial infections!
In the era of open antibiotics, the emergence of carbapenem antibiotics was regarded as a major breakthrough in the medical field. This type of antibiotics can not only fight multi-drug-resistant bacteria, but also become life-saving drugs for critically ill patients due to their special mechanism of action. As drug resistance increases, the potential shown by carbapenems in combating bacterial infections is even more significant.
Characteristics of carbapenems
Carbapenem antibiotics belong to the β-lactam class of drugs. Their main mechanism is to bind to the penicillin-binding protein in the bacterial cell wall, thereby inhibiting the synthesis of the cell wall. They exhibit broad antibacterial activity against many drug-resistant bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae.
“Carbapenem antibiotics are generally reserved for patients with known or suspected multidrug-resistant bacterial infections.”
Scope of use and indications
This class of antibiotics has a place in several clinical scenarios. For example, etopenem, a member of the carbapenem class, is considered a first-line treatment when treating community-acquired intra-abdominal infections. For high-risk abdominal infections or nosocomial infections, more potent carbapenems such as doxorubicin, imipenem or meropenem can be used.
Coping with complicated urinary tract infections
According to a 2015 systematic review, studies have shown that the use of doxorubicin can achieve high efficacy for complicated urinary tract infections, especially for those E. coli infections that are resistant to fluoroquinolones.
Therapeutic effect of pneumonia
In the treatment of pneumonia, the American Thoracic Society and the Infectious Diseases Society recommend the use of imipenem and meropenem, especially when nosocomial pneumonia caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa or other drug-resistant pathogens is suspected. Aminoglycosides to prevent the development of resistance.
Advantages in dealing with bloodstream infections
When treating bloodstream infections, a 2015 meta-analysis showed that the use of piperacillin-tazobactam was as effective as carbapenems. Carbapenems have shown stronger antibacterial effects against bloodstream infections caused by Enterobacteriaceae bacteria known to produce extended-range β-lactamase.
The challenge of drug resistance
Although carbapenems exhibit impressive antibacterial efficacy, recent studies have raised growing concerns about resistance to these drugs. With the rise of multidrug-resistant bacteria, how to use this class of drugs more effectively and reduce the development of drug resistance has become a major challenge facing the current medical community.
“The current increase in multi-drug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in many parts of the world forces us to rethink: How to extend the service life of carbapenems?”
Future Outlook
Scientists and doctors are actively looking for solutions and developing a new generation of carbapenem antibiotics and some new compounds to deal with the problem of drug resistance. Even as we face the threat of drug resistance, carbapenems remain a symbol of hope.
Conclusion
The application of carbapenems once again makes us reflect on the use of antibiotics and the possibilities for their future development. In today's world where drug resistance is becoming increasingly serious, how to effectively use and sustain these precious therapeutic resources?
