Pharmacokinetics of Imipenem in Critically Ill Patients With Life-threatening Severe Infections During Support With Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has become increasingly used for lifesaving respiratory and/or cardiac failure support in critically ill patients, including those with life-threatening severe infections. This cardiopulmonary bypass device has been shown to enhance the profound pathophysiological changes in this patient population, resulting in an alteration of the pharmacokinetics (PK) of antimicrobial agents. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of ECMO on the PK of imipenem in critically ill patients supported by this cardiopulmonary bypass device.

Methods The study was conducted in critically ill patients with respiratory and/or cardiac failure and suspected severe nosocomial infections who were supported by ECMO. All patients received a 1-h infusion of 0.5 g of imipenem every 6 h and imipenem PK studies were carried out on the fourth dose of drug administration.