Table 1.
Patient characteristics
| Characteristic | Result |
P valuea | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group 1 (n = 67 patients) | Group 2 (n = 56 patients) | ||
| Mean age (yr) ± SD | 64.2 ± 14.3 | 59.2 ± 18.5 | 0.09 |
| Gender (male/female) | 46/21 | 44/12 | 0.29b |
| Mean body wt (kg) ± SD | 79.4 ± 17.2 | 82.2 ± 20.2 | 0.39 |
| Mean ht (cm) ± SD | 172.3 ± 8.4 | 173.7 ± 9.3 | 0.36 |
| Mean body mass index (kg/m2) ± SD | 26.7 ± 5.2 | 27.1 ± 5.3 | 0.67 |
| Mean CLCr (ml/min)c,d ± SD | 93.9 ± 54.1 | 106.9 ± 77.8 | 0.24 |
| Mean meropenem Cssc (mg/liter) ± SD | 12.9 ± 6.2 | 10.2 ± 5.1 | 0.08 |
| No. (%) of patients admitted to the hospital | |||
| Intensive care unit ward | 33 (49.3) | 22 (39.3) | 0.36b |
| Surgical ward | 19 (28.3) | 13 (23.2) | 0.66b |
| Medical ward | 15 (22.4) | 21 (37.5) | 0.10b |
| No. (%) of patients by reason for meropenem | |||
| Hospital-acquired pneumonia | 25 (37.3) | 12 (21.4) | 0.08b |
| Bloodstream infections | 14 (20.9) | 13 (23.2) | 0.93b |
| Empirical use for severe sepsis | 11 (16.4) | 14 (25.0) | 0.34b |
| Intraabdominal infections | 9 (13.4) | 3 (5.4) | 0.23b |
| Meningitis | 6 (9.0) | 3 (5.4) | 0.68b |
| Skin and soft tissue infections | 2 (3.0) | 7 (12.5) | 0.10b |
| Urinary tract infections | 0 (0) | 4 (7.1) | 0.09b |
a
Statistical significance was assessed by means of unpaired t test, unless otherwise specified.
b
Test χ2.
c
At first TDM.
d
Estimated by the Cockcroft and Gault formula (10).