Carbapenem therapy for bacteremia due to extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli or Klebsiella pneumoniae.

For 244 patients with bacteremia due to extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli or Klebsiella pneumoniae treated by ertapenem (73, 29.9%) or either imipenem or meropenem (171, 70.1%), the therapeutic efficacy was evaluated. Ertapenem therapy was effective for patients with ESBL-producing E. coli or K. pneumoniae bacteremia in terms of mortality and microbiological responses, as compared with imipenem or meropenem.