imipenem + amikacin

Imipenem + amikacin is a combination of two antibiotics used primarily for the treatment of serious infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., and Acinetobacter baumannii. Imipenem is a carbapenem antibiotic that inhibits bacterial cell wall synthesis by binding to penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs), leading to cell lysis and death. Amikacin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic that binds irreversibly to the 16S rRNA and S12 protein of the 30S ribosomal subunit, inhibiting protein synthesis and causing misreading of mRNA. The combination exhibits synergistic bactericidal activity against resistant strains, lowering minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for both drugs compared to monotherapy. This synergy makes it a valuable option in treating severe hospital-acquired infections where resistance limits other therapies[1][2][4][7].