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Best Available Therapy With or Without Meropenem for Bloodstream Infections by Enterobacterales With High Level of Resistance to Carbapenems

Open-label Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Best Available Therapy With or Without Meropenem for Bloodstream Infections by Enterobacterales With Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations for Meropenem Above 32mg/L

Status
Terminated
Phases
Phase 2Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04876430
Acronym
ABOVE
Enrollment
13
Registered
2021-05-06
Start date
2021-05-04
Completion date
2022-03-07
Last updated
2022-08-03

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Bloodstream Infection, Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae Infection

Keywords

carbapenem, carbapenemase, polymyxins, treatment, carbapenem resistance

Brief summary

Enterobacterales resistant to carbapenem are cause of severe concern in hospital-acquired infections since therapeutic options are limited. Recently approved drugs, such as bela-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor, have been the drug of choice. However, its use is limited in low- and middle-income countries. Thus, therapy of these infections mostly relies on polymyxins and other old drugs. The role of adjuvant carbapenem therapy in combination with polymyxins, aminoglycosides and other drugs is under investigation. From a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD), there is an elevated probability that high-dose, extended infusion administered meropenem reach the PK/PD target of 40% above the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the pathogen when the MIC is 32mg/L or lower (non-susceptible isolates have MICs of 4mg/L or higher). However, the MIC is not routinely determined in clinical laboratories. In addition, high-level (above 32mg/L) resistance to carbapenems have been reported in many studies. This open-label, randomized clinical trial aim to assess if the addition of meropenem to the best available therapy can increase the number of days alive and free of hospitalization in patients with bloodstream infections by Enterobacterales with MIC of meropenem above 32mg/L.

Interventions

DRUGMeropenem

Meropenem 2g every 8h for patients with glomerular filtration rate (GFR) equal or higher that 50 mL/min. Dose adjustment is recommended for patients with GFR \< 50mL/min.

Sponsors

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
CollaboratorOTHER_GOV
Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Primary or secondary bloodstream infections by any specie of the Enterobacterales family with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for meropenem \>32mg/L; * Agreement of the assistant team with the inclusion of the patient in the study; * Agreement by the patient or legal guardian to sign the informed consent form.

Exclusion criteria

* Known pregnancy; * Patients belonging to the population deprived of their liberty; * Known allergy to meropenem; * Use of ceftazidime-avibactam (or any other new antimicrobial agent that become available in Brazil during the study period) for the treatment of the current infection; * Infection by an Enterobacterales isolates without in vitro susceptibility to at least one antimicrobial drug; * Bloodstream co-infection by another gram negative bacilli; * Concomitant infection at any site by a pathogen which meropenem is indicated; * Neutropenia (\<1000 neutrophils cells/mm3) * Death expected within 48 hours of eligibility assessment.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Days alive and free of hospitalization60 daysNumber of days in which patients are alive and out of the hospital

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Antimicrobial-free days60 days after randomizationNumber of days in which patients are alive and without use of antimicrobial drugs
Relapse of infection60 days after randomizationPresence of infection with isolation of the same bacteria between 14 and 60 days after randomization.
Overall mortality14, 28 and 60 days after randomizationDeath for any cause
Acute Kidney Injury14 days after randomizationIncidence of Acute Kidney Injury, according to Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria
Meropenem-related adverse effects14 days after randomizationIncidence of adverse effects related to meropenem, such as neurological toxicity and hypersensitivity reactions
Clostridioides difficile infection60 days after randomizationIncidence of Clostridioides difficile infection

Countries

Brazil

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026