Anti-infective treatment of pulmonary exacerbations is a major issue in people with cystic fibrosis (CF). Individualized dosing strategies and adaptation of infusion times are important concepts to optimize anti-infective therapy. In this prospective non-randomized controlled open-label trial, we compared pharmacokinetics of meropenem in 12 people with CF experiencing a pulmonary exacerbation, of whom six received parenteral meropenem 2 g tid as short infusion over 30 min and six extended infusion over 120 min. We measured blood concentrations of meropenem at five predetermined time points over 240 min and calculated differences in the percentages of the time above the minimal inhibitory concentration (fT > MIC) for meropenem concentrations >16 and >32 mg/L, respectively. Mean percentages of fT > 16 and fT > 32 mg/L were higher in the extended compared to the short infusion group (83 and 56% vs. 59% and 34%), with a statistically significant prolongation of the fT > 32 mg/L (mean 134 vs. 82 min; p = 0.037). Our results demonstrate that, in people with CF, longer fT > MIC can be achieved with a simple modification of meropenem dosing. Further studies are needed to clarify if this may translate into improved microbiological and clinical outcomes, in particular in adults with difficult-to-treat chronic infection by carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Keywords: antimicrobial stewardship; carbapenem; cystic fibrosis; pharmacokinetics; pulmonary exacerbation.