Common antibiotic linked to higher risk of death in adults, major study finds

Key Points:

• A global study published in JAMA Network Open found that the antibiotic cefepime is associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality compared to other beta-lactam antibiotics, with a 94.4% probability increasing to 98.6% in peer-reviewed trials.
• The study analyzed 110 randomized clinical trials involving over 22,000 patients treated for serious bacterial infections, noting a 6.6% death rate among those given cefepime versus 6.2% for other antibiotics, with the strongest association seen in adults and patients with febrile neutropenia.
• Researchers suggested that challenges in dosing cefepime, including risks of underdosing leading to ineffective treatment and overdosing causing neurotoxicity, may explain the increased mortality rather than the drug itself.
• Despite the findings, the study authors did not recommend discontinuing cefepime but called for further research and guidance to optimize its safe use in clinical settings.
• Medical experts emphasized the importance of reanalyzing older data and highlighted the potential role of artificial intelligence in determining appropriate dosing to improve patient outcomes.