Clinical Trial: RCT Meropenem vs Piperacillin-Tazobactam for Definitive Treatment of BSI's Due to Ceftriaxone Non-susceptible Escherichia Coli and Klebsiella Spp.

Study Status: Recruiting
Recruit Status: Recruiting
Study Type: Interventional




Official Title: Randomized Controlled Trial of Meropenem Versus Piperacillin-Tazobactam for Definitive Treatment of Bloodstream Infections Due to Ceftriaxone Non-susceptible E. Coli and Klebsiel

Brief Summary:

No randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have yet been performed comparing different treatment options for AmpC or ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae. During the last 10 years we have seen an exponentially increasing rate of carbapenem resistance worldwide, including Australia and New Zealand. The investigators urgently need data from well-designed RCTs to guide clinicians in the treatment of antibiotic resistant Gram-negative infections. The investigators face a situation where a commonly used antibiotic for these infections (meropenem) may be driving carbapenem resistance. For this reason, the investigators are seeking to compare a carbapenem-sparing regimen with a carbapenem for the treatment of these infections. Formal evaluation of safety and efficacy of generic antibiotics in the treatment of infection is of immense clinical and public health importance, and no formal trial has yet been conducted to address these issues. The international collaboration between teams of clinician researchers, some of whom are leaders in their field, makes it highly likely that the outcomes of this trial will have a significant impact on clinical practice.

The investigators' hypothesis is that piperacillin/tazobactam (a carbapenem-sparing regimen) is non-inferior to meropenem (a widely used carbapenem) for the definitive treatment of bloodstream infections due to third-generation cephalosporin non-susceptible E. coli or Klebsiella species.