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Imipenem
 
 
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Imipenem is an intravenous β-lactam
Beta-lactam

||-||-||-||-||-||-||}A beta-lactam ring or penam is a lactam with a heteroatomic ring structure, consisting of three carbon atoms and one nitrogen atom ....
 antibiotic
Antibiotic

In common usage, an antibiotic is a substance or compound that kills or inhibits the growth of bacteria. Antibiotics belong to the group of antimicrobial compounds used to treat infections caused by microorganisms, including fungus and protozoa....
 developed in 1985. It has an extremely broad spectrum of activity. Imipenem belongs to the subgroup of carbapenem
Carbapenem

Carbapenems are a class of beta-lactam antibiotics with a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity, and have a structure which renders them highly resistant to beta-lactamases....
s. It is derived from a compound called thienamycin
Thienamycin

Thienamycin, one of the most potent naturally-produced antibiotics known thus far, was discovered in Streptomyces cattleya in 1976. Thienamycin has excellent activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and is resistant to bacterial ?-lactamase enzymes....
, which is produced by the bacteria Streptomyces cattleya. Imipenem has a broad spectrum of activity against aerobic
Aerobic organism

An aerobic organism or aerobe is an organism that can survive and grow in an oxygenated environment....
 and anaerobic
Anaerobic organism

An anaerobic organism is any organism that does not require oxygen for growth and may even die in its presence....
 Gram positive as well as Gram negative bacteria
Bacteria

The Bacteria are a large group of unicellular microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals....
. It is particularly important for its activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common bacterium which can cause disease in animals and humans. It is found in soil, water, and most man-made environments throughout the world....
 and the Enterococcus
Enterococcus

Enterococcus is a genus of lactic acid bacteria of the Phylum Firmicutes. Members of this genus were classified as Group D Streptococcus until 1984 when genomic DNA analysis indicated that a separate genus classification would be appropriate....
 species.






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Imipenem is an intravenous β-lactam
Beta-lactam

||-||-||-||-||-||-||}A beta-lactam ring or penam is a lactam with a heteroatomic ring structure, consisting of three carbon atoms and one nitrogen atom ....
 antibiotic
Antibiotic

In common usage, an antibiotic is a substance or compound that kills or inhibits the growth of bacteria. Antibiotics belong to the group of antimicrobial compounds used to treat infections caused by microorganisms, including fungus and protozoa....
 developed in 1985. It has an extremely broad spectrum of activity. Imipenem belongs to the subgroup of carbapenem
Carbapenem

Carbapenems are a class of beta-lactam antibiotics with a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity, and have a structure which renders them highly resistant to beta-lactamases....
s. It is derived from a compound called thienamycin
Thienamycin

Thienamycin, one of the most potent naturally-produced antibiotics known thus far, was discovered in Streptomyces cattleya in 1976. Thienamycin has excellent activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and is resistant to bacterial ?-lactamase enzymes....
, which is produced by the bacteria Streptomyces cattleya. Imipenem has a broad spectrum of activity against aerobic
Aerobic organism

An aerobic organism or aerobe is an organism that can survive and grow in an oxygenated environment....
 and anaerobic
Anaerobic organism

An anaerobic organism is any organism that does not require oxygen for growth and may even die in its presence....
 Gram positive as well as Gram negative bacteria
Bacteria

The Bacteria are a large group of unicellular microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals....
. It is particularly important for its activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common bacterium which can cause disease in animals and humans. It is found in soil, water, and most man-made environments throughout the world....
 and the Enterococcus
Enterococcus

Enterococcus is a genus of lactic acid bacteria of the Phylum Firmicutes. Members of this genus were classified as Group D Streptococcus until 1984 when genomic DNA analysis indicated that a separate genus classification would be appropriate....
 species. It is not active against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a Bacteria responsible for difficult-to-treat infections in humans. It may also be referred to as multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ....
, however. Imipenem and other drugs in the carbapenem
Carbapenem

Carbapenems are a class of beta-lactam antibiotics with a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity, and have a structure which renders them highly resistant to beta-lactamases....
 class are typically restricted in use, in order to avoid widespread bacterial resistance
Antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic resistance is the ability of a microorganism to withstand the effects of antibiotics. It is a specific type of drug resistance. Antibiotic resistance evolves via natural selection acting upon random mutation, but it can also be engineered by applying an evolutionary stress on a population....
.

Method of action

Imipenem acts as an antimicrobial through inhibiting cell wall synthesis of various gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. It remains very stable in the presence of beta-lactamase (both penicillinase and cephalosporinase) produced by some bacteria, and is a strong inhibitor of beta-lactamases from some gram-negative bacteria that are resistant to most beta-lactam antibiotics.

Co-administration with cilastatin


Imipenem is rapidly degraded by the renal enzyme dehydropeptidase when administered alone, and is always co-administered with cilastatin to prevent this inactivation.

Adverse effects

Common adverse drug reaction
Adverse drug reaction

An adverse drug reaction or adverse drug event is an expression that describes the unwanted, negative consequences associated with the use of given medications....
s are nausea and vomiting. People who are allergic to penicillin
Penicillin

Penicillin is a group of antibiotics derived from Penicillium fungi. They are Beta-lactam antibiotics used in the treatment of bacterial infections caused by susceptible, usually Gram-positive, organisms....
 and other beta-lactam
Beta-lactam

||-||-||-||-||-||-||}A beta-lactam ring or penam is a lactam with a heteroatomic ring structure, consisting of three carbon atoms and one nitrogen atom ....
 antibiotics should not take imipenem. Imipenem can also cause seizures.

See also

  • Imipenem/cilastatin
    Imipenem/cilastatin

    Imipenem/cilastatin is a broad spectrum beta-lactam antibiotic containing equal quantities of imipenem and cilastatin. It is related to the penicillin/cephalosporin family of antibiotics but is classified as belonging to the carbapenem class....