Imipenem in acute lung infections and bacterial re-exacerbations of chronic obstructive lung disease.

The Authors examine the changes observed in the epidemiology of lower respiratory tract infections and the role of imipenem in acute lung infections as well as in bacterial re-exacerbations of chronic obstructive lung disease. Imipenem is a new beta-lactam antibiotic characterized by an unusually broad spectrum of antibacterial activity that includes most gram-positive and gram-negative aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, by a remarkable stability to both plasmid and chromosomally-mediated beta-lactamases and by good pharmacokinetic properties. These peculiar features make this drug an attractive candidate to be used in the treatment of lower respiratory tract infections. The use of imipenem, however, should be restricted to nosocomial infections due to gram-negative aerobic resistant to other antibiotics, mixed infections due to both aerobic and anaerobic flora and as initial empirical therapy of infections in immunocompromised patients.