Imipenem-cilastatin monotherapy in severe infections accompanying hematological malignancies.

Imipenem-cilastatin (imipenem 1 to 4 g/day) was administered to patients with severe infections accompanying granulocytopenia in hematological malignancies. Monotherapy with imipenem-cilastatin was effective in 62.1% of the patients, and also effective even they were severely neutropenic. When imipenem-cilastatin was administered as the first-choice therapy, the efficacy was much better, at 73.3%. Both Gram-positive and Gram-negative infections were curable by the monotherapy with imipenem-cilastatin.