Pilot Randomized Control Trial of Meropenem vs. Piperacillin-Tazobactam for definitive treatment of bloodstream infections due to ceftriaxone non-susceptible Escherichia Coli and Klebsiella spp.

Escherichia coli (“E. coli”) and Klebsiella are bacteria which are common causes of infections in your blood stream. Patients with bloodstream infections due to either E. coli or Klebsiella, can commonly be treated with antibiotics called third generation cephalosporins, such as the antibiotic ceftriaxone. When the blood stream infection is resistant to these antibiotics, the antibiotics meropenem and piperacillin/tazobactam have been shown to be effective alternatives for treatment. The purpose of this study is to work out whether these two other antibiotics, meropenem and piperacillin/tazobactam, are equally effective in the treatment of these antibiotic resistant bloodstream infections. These antibiotics have never been compared “head to head” in order to establish the best available treatment for these serious infections. This research project has been designed to make sure the researchers interpret the results in a fair and appropriate way and avoids study doctors or participants jumping to conclusions.