Safety of megadose meropenem in the empirical treatment of nosocomial sepsis: a pilot randomized clinical trial.

To evaluate the safety of megadose meropenem as empirical treatment of nosocomial sepsis. Critically ill patients diagnosed with sepsis received either high-dose (2 g every 8 h) or megadose (4 g every 8 h) meropenem as an intravenous infusion over 3 h. A total of 23 patients with nosocomial sepsis were eligible and included in the megadose (n = 11) or high-dose (n = 12) group. No treatment-related adverse events were observed during a 14-day follow-up. Clinical response was also comparable between the groups. Megadose meropenem may be considered for empirical treatment of nosocomial sepsis without serious concern regarding its safety.