Efficacy and safety of piperacillin/tazobactam versus biapenem in late elderly patients with nursing- and healthcare-associated pneumonia.

Pneumonia is associated with an extremely high mortality rate in patients of late elderly age. Piperacillin/tazobactam and carbapenems are drugs of first choice for hospitalized patients with potentially resistant bacteria. We compared the efficacy and safety of piperacillin/tazobactam and biapenem. Among elderly patients with nursing- and healthcare-associated pneumonia, we extracted 53 patients treated with piperacillin/tazobactam and 53 patients treated with biapenem who were matched for sex, age, and severity of pneumonia. The average age was more than 80 years; most of the patients were middle- to oldest old in age. Although clinical efficacy was equally good, patients in the piperacillin/tazobactam group achieved significantly faster improvements on chest X-ray and body temperature on day 7. However, in the piperacillin/tazobactam group, nephrotoxicity frequently led to a need for a reduction in the dose or complete discontinuation of treatment. The average age of patients who developed significant nephrotoxicity was high, at 83.2 years. The biapenem group exhibited significantly better continuation of treatment than the piperacillin/tazobactam group. Toxicity profiles were different between the two groups. Hepatic toxicity was significantly higher in the biapenem group, whereas nephrotoxicity was significantly more common in the piperacillin/tazobactam group. Rate of decrease in bacteria was equally good between the two groups. Providing careful follow-up and conducting more detailed examinations, including studies to determine optimal dose and timing of administration, are necessary for the treatment of late elderly patients with numerous underlying diseases and potential organ dysfunctions.