Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reactions rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.
Adult Patients:
During clinical investigations, 2904 immunocompetent adult patients were treated for non-CNS infections with Meropenem for Injection (500 mg or 1000 mg every 8 hours). Deaths in 5 patients were assessed as possibly related to meropenem; 36 (1.2%) patients had meropenem discontinued because of adverse events. Many patients in these trials were severely ill and had multiple background diseases, physiological impairments and were receiving multiple other drug therapies. In the seriously ill patient population, it was not possible to determine the relationship between observed adverse events and therapy with Meropenem for Injection.
The following adverse reaction frequencies were derived from the clinical trials in the 2904 patients treated with Meropenem for Injection.
Local Adverse Reactions
Local adverse reactions that were reported irrespective of the relationship to therapy with Meropenem for Injection were as follows:
Inflammation at the injection site | 2.4% |
Injection site reaction | 0.9% |
Phlebitis/thrombophlebitis | 0.8% |
Pain at the injection site | 0.4% |
Edema at the injection site | 0.2% |
Systemic Adverse Reactions
Systemic adverse reactions that were reported irrespective of the relationship to Meropenem for Injection occurring in greater than 1% of the patients were diarrhea (4.8%), nausea/vomiting (3.6%), headache (2.3%), rash (1.9%), sepsis (1.6%), constipation (1.4%), apnea (1.3%), shock (1.2%), and pruritus (1.2%).
Additional systemic adverse reactions that were reported irrespective of relationship to therapy with Meropenem for Injection and occurring in less than or equal to 1% but greater than 0.1% of the patients are listed below within each body system in order of decreasing frequency:
Bleeding events were seen as follows: gastrointestinal hemorrhage (0.5%), melena (0.3%), epistaxis (0.2%), hemoperitoneum (0.2%), summing to 1.2%.
Body as a Whole: pain, abdominal pain, chest pain, fever, back pain, abdominal enlargement, chills, pelvic pain
Cardiovascular: heart failure, heart arrest, tachycardia, hypertension, myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolus, bradycardia, hypotension, syncope
Digestive System: oral moniliasis, anorexia, cholestatic jaundice/jaundice, flatulence, ileus, hepatic failure, dyspepsia, intestinal obstruction
Hemic/Lymphatic: anemia, hypochromic anemia, hypervolemia
Metabolic/Nutritional: peripheral edema, hypoxia
Nervous System: insomnia, agitation/delirium, confusion, dizziness, seizure, nervousness, paresthesia, hallucinations, somnolence, anxiety, depression, asthenia [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS (5.2) and (5.10)]
Respiratory: respiratory disorder, dyspnea, pleural effusion, asthma, cough increased, lung edema
Skin and Appendages: urticaria, sweating, skin ulcer
Urogenital System: dysuria, kidney failure, vaginal moniliasis, urinary incontinence
Adverse Laboratory Changes
Adverse laboratory changes that were reported irrespective of relationship to Meropenem for Injection and occurring in greater than 0.2% of the patients were as follows:
Hepatic: increased SGPT (ALT), SGOT (AST), alkaline phosphatase, LDH, and bilirubin
Hematologic: increased platelets, increased eosinophils, decreased platelets, decreased hemoglobin, decreased hematocrit, decreased WBC, shortened prothrombin time and shortened partial thromboplastin time, leukocytosis, hypokalemia
Renal: increased creatinine and increased BUN
NOTE: For patients with varying degrees of renal impairment, the incidence of heart failure, kidney failure, seizure and shock reported irrespective of relationship to Meropenem for Injection, increased in patients with moderately severe renal impairment (creatinine clearance >10 to 26 mL/min) [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION (2.2), WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS (5.8), USE IN SPECIFIC POPULATIONS (8.5) and (8.6), and CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY (12.3)].
Urinalysis: presence of red blood cells
Complicated Skin and Skin Structure Infections
In a study of complicated skin and skin structure infections, the adverse reactions were similar to those listed above. The most common adverse events occurring in >5% of the patients were: headache (7.8%), nausea (7.8%), constipation (7%), diarrhea (7%), anemia (5.5%), and pain (5.1%). Adverse events with an incidence of >1%, and not listed above, include: pharyngitis, accidental injury, gastrointestinal disorder, hypoglycemia, peripheral vascular disorder, and pneumonia.
Pediatric Patients:
Clinical Adverse Reactions
Meropenem for Injection was studied in 515 pediatric patients (≥ 3 months to < 13 years of age) with serious bacterial infections (excluding meningitis, see next section.) at dosages of 10 to 20 mg/kg every 8 hours. The types of clinical adverse events seen in these patients are similar to the adults, with the most common adverse events reported as possibly, probably, or definitely related to Meropenem for Injection and their rates of occurrence as follows:
Diarrhea | 3.5% |
Rash | 1.6% |
Nausea and Vomiting | 0.8% |
Meropenem for Injection was studied in 321 pediatric patients (> 3 months to < 17 years of age) with meningitis at a dosage of 40 mg/kg every 8 hours. The types of clinical adverse events seen in these patients are similar to the adults, with the most common adverse events reported as possibly, probably, or definitely related to Meropenem for Injection and their rates of occurrence as follows:
Diarrhea | 4.7% |
Rash (mostly diaper area moniliasis) | 3.1% |
Oral Moniliasis | 1.9% |
Glossitis | 1% |
In the meningitis studies, the rates of seizure activity during therapy were comparable between patients with no CNS abnormalities who received meropenem and those who received comparator agents (either cefotaxime or ceftriaxone). In the Meropenem for Injection treated group, 12/15 patients with seizures had late onset seizures (defined as occurring on day 3 or later) versus 7/20 in the comparator arm.
Adverse Laboratory Changes
Laboratory changes seen in the pediatric studies, including the meningitis studies, were similar to those reported in the adult studies.
There is no experience in pediatric patients with renal impairment.