Ceftazidime-Avibactam Shows Promise Against Deadly Carbapenem-Resistant Infections
New Taipei City, Taiwan – A new study conducted at Far Eastern Memorial Hospital sheds light on the effectiveness of ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA) in treating carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) infections. This resistant bacteria has become a growing global concern due to its ability to withstand many common antibiotics.
Researchers, led by Dr. Chia-Jui Yang, retrospectively reviewed data from 142 patients who received CZA treatment between February 2020 and December 2021. The study, focusing on a single hospital in northern Taiwan, sought to determine CZA’s effectiveness and identify factors influencing patient outcomes.
The results were encouraging. 78% of patients survived for at least 28 days after starting CZA treatment. Furthermore, 86% showed microbial eradication, indicating the drug’s ability to effectively eliminate the infection-causing bacteria. While only 48% achieved clinical success, which considers factors like symptom improvement, the researchers noted a significant finding.
"A relative lower microbiological cure rate can be observed in lower respiratory tract infection from univariate analysis (P=0.07)."
This suggests that CZA might be less effective in treating CRKP infections localized in the lungs.
Interestingly, the study revealed no significant difference in 28-day survival rates between patients who received CZA alone and those who received it in combination with other antibiotics. This finding highlights the potency of CZA as a standalone treatment option.
The researchers did note a potential concern regarding patients with impaired kidney function.
"[P]otentially poorer survival outcomes have been observed with CZA dose adjustments in patients with impaired renal function, indicating the need for further research to determine optimal renal dose adjustment strategies,” the authors stated.
This discovery underscores the need for careful dosage management in patients with kidney problems to ensure CZA’s efficacy while minimizing potential side effects.
Dr. Yu and his team conclude that "CZA is an effective and important treatment option for CRKP infection even when it is treated as monotherapy,” offering hope in the fight against these increasingly resistant infections. However, further research is needed to fine-tune dosing strategies and optimize treatment outcomes, particularly in subpopulations like those with kidney disease.
