Here is the detailed profile for:
💉 Meropenem 500 mg (as trihydrate) – Powder for Injection
📘 Description:
Meropenem is a broad-spectrum carbapenem antibiotic, supplied as a sterile lyophilized powder for intravenous use. The dosage here is 500 mg, typically labeled as the trihydrate form.
💊 Prescription / Indications:
Used to treat moderate to severe bacterial infections, including:
- Complicated intra-abdominal infections
- Hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated pneumonia (HAP/VAP)
- Complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI)
- Septicemia / bloodstream infections
- Meningitis (bacterial)
- Skin and soft tissue infections
- Febrile neutropenia (empirical treatment)
🩺 Uses:
- Empiric therapy for multi-drug resistant (MDR) infections
- Infections caused by ESBL-producing Gram-negative organisms
- Treatment in ICUs, post-surgical sepsis, and resistant hospital-acquired infections
🌿 Nature / Drug Class:
- Drug class: Carbapenem β-lactam antibiotic
- Route: Intravenous administration only
- Bactericidal; works by inhibiting cell wall synthesis
✅ Advantages:
- Extremely broad antibacterial spectrum
- Stable against most β-lactamases, including ESBLs
- Effective against Gram-positive, Gram-negative, and anaerobes
- Useful in life-threatening and resistant infections
- Crosses blood-brain barrier – useful in meningitis
⚠️ Precautions:
- Contraindicated in patients with hypersensitivity to carbapenems or penicillins
- Monitor in:
- Renal impairment (dose adjustment needed)
- Seizure disorders (may lower seizure threshold)
- Hepatic or hematological abnormalities
- Common side effects:
- Nausea, diarrhea, headache
- Rash, thrombophlebitis at injection site
- Rare: Seizures, superinfection (e.g., C. difficile)
- Prolonged use may result in resistant organisms
📦 Common Packaging:
- Glass vial containing 500 mg of Meropenem (as sterile trihydrate powder)
- To be reconstituted with sterile water or compatible IV fluid
- Often supplied in cartons of 1, 5, or 10 vials for hospital use
❄️ Storage:
- Store vials below 25°C
- Protect from light and moisture
- After reconstitution:
- Use immediately, or
- Refrigerate (2–8°C) and use within 6–8 hours
- Do not freeze reconstituted solution
- Use a freshly prepared solution for optimal stability