Guidelines for good practice of carbapenems

Carbapenems are being increasingly used because of the widespread dissemination of antibiotic resistance among Gram-negative bacilli, especially of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases; this increasing use raises the concern of loss of activity for this antimicrobial class following the emergence of carbapenemases. The current guideline from the Anti-infective drugs Committee of the Assistance publique-Hopitaux de Paris (AP-HP) group emphasizes the careful and limited use of carbapenems, comparing the respective characteristics of the four available molecules, and specifies their indications in clinical hospital practice, with possible alternatives. (C) 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.