Beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitors versus carbapenem for bloodstream infections due to extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae: systematic review and meta-analysis

Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) are enzymes that hydrolyze the β-lactam ring, giving resistance to most beta-lactam antibiotics including the expanded-spectrum cephalosporins but precluding the cephamycins and aztreonam [1]. In addition, ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae are often resistant to other classes of antibiotics (e.g. fluoroquinolones, trimethoprim-s ulfamethoxazole, aminoglycosides, and tetracyclines), making the treatment very challenging [1-4]. Temoniera, a Greek patient's name, was the first plasmid-mediated β-lactamase isolated designed as TEM-1 in an Escherichia coli that grew in a blood culture of this patient in the early 1960s [5].
Source: International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Tags: Review Source Type: research