Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole therapy for patients with carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae infections: retrospective single-center case series

The objective of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (also known as co-trimoxazole, TMPS) to treat Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kp)-K. pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) infections. Clinical data of patients with a TMPS-susceptible Kp-KPC infection were collected as a case series. We report clinical outcomes and tolerability for 14 patients infected by Kp-KPC strains susceptible to TMPS, including three bloodstream infections. In ten cases (71.4%), TMPS was administered as monotherapy. In all but one case, Kp-KPC infection was cured. In the remaining patient, therapy was discontinued because of an adverse event. The use of TMPS to treat TMPS-susceptible Kp-KPC infections seems promising.