[Comparative activity of meropenem and other antibiotics against the pathogens of nosocomial infections].

Comparative activity of meropenem and other antibacterial drugs against isolates from intensive care and reanimation units of various profiles was estimated. It was shown that the recommendations for the combined therapy with the 3rd generation cephalosporins and aminoglycosides should be revised, since none of the isolates resistant to ceftazidime or cefotaxime was susceptible to gentamicin or tobramycin. At present the most promising agents of empirical therapy are carbapenems (meropenem and imipenem). However, the resistance of methicillin resistant staphylococci and Enterococcus faecium to carbapenems and the intrinsic resistance of some gram-negative bacteria to carbapenems are indicative of the necessity of microbiological diagnosis, especially when the treatment with meropenem fails.