Tag Archives: Piperacillin+tazobactam

Acute piperacillin+tazobactam shortage – important advice – JHH and HNELHD

Currently (still in Feb 2018) there is a worldwide shortage of piperacillin+tazobactam , an additional issue to the shortage earlier in 2017 . Appropriate substitutions – see – HNELHD advice (November 2017)  JHH_Pip_Taz_Fact_Sheet_Oct_2017 . This includes new dosage recommendations for IV amox+clavulanate for intra-abdominal infection (6 -hrly rather than 8- hrly dosing). For further advice, please contact the […]

Piperacillin+tazobactam shortage – recommended alternatives – HNELHD

SITUATION Due to a global shortage, many Hunter New England Local Health District sites have low supplies of piperacillin+tazobactam with shortages likely until after September. It is essential that further use of this agent is conserved as below.  Amoxycillin+clavulanate is now available in a parenteral form and is a suitable option in many circumstances, contingent on local […]

Overuse => global shortage! Let’s conserve what piperacillin+tazobactam we have left

Piperacillin+tazobactam (Tazocin) is one of our most important broad spectrum agents and is in short supply. Please conserve it by avoiding use in these common situations: Uncomplicated biliary sepsis  (Use ampicillin+gentamicin(max 48hrs) OR if allergic, ceftriaxone) Urinary tract infection with sepsis (Use ampicillin+gentamicin(max 48 hrs) OR if allergic, ceftriaxone) Early onset (< 5d after admission) […]

IV amoxycillin+clavulanate available – uses in intra-abdominal infection – new guideline

We’ve previously counselled against augmentin overuse in a number of conditions which did not, however, include intra-abdominal infection where the new availability of an IV preparation offers us a way of reducing the use of the workhorse antibiotic piperacillin+tazobactam. Here is our freshly minted guideline which also provides more explicit advice about short or no […]

Sparing meropenem 101 – treatment of ESCPM species and AmpC betalactamases unpacked

Guest post: Patrick Harris, Staff Specialist in Microbiology, Central Laboratory, Pathology Queensland, Brisbane Infectious disease and microbiology trainees diligently learn about organisms that have a type of broad-spectrum beta-lactamase (i.e. an enzyme that can inactivate betalactam antibiotics) called ‘AmpC’.  These enzymes are encoded by a gene that is usually located on the chromosome of many Gram-negative […]

Is penicillin enough for aspiration pneumonia?

There has been quite a tradition for including Gram negative anaerobic cover for patients suspected to have aspiration pneumonia. There are virtually no randomised trials that directly address the issue with nearly all such trials including agents that have Gram negative anaerobic cover across all treatment arms.   One exception was a small trial from 1997 in a paediatric […]

Tazocin misconceptions: misuse in community-acquired pneumonia – spectrum too broad

Piperacillin+tazobactam (Tazocin) is an important broad spectrum antibiotic that is still active in most Australian settings against a wide range of Gram negatives (including Pseudomonas) , Gram positives (excluding MRSA and VRE) and nearly all anaerobic bacteria. It comes into great demand for management of a range of healthcare-associated infections, especially in ICU. Its use […]