Text Box: MEROPENEM MONOTHERAPY FOR SERIOUS INFECTIONS IN NEWBORN Hernandez PM, Yee AA, Mar¨ªa CI National Institute of Pediatrics, Mexico City, Mexico Objetive: This study was designed to compare the clinical efficacy, safety and tolerability of meropenem therapy in management of infected newborn. Evaluate the bacteriological and clinical efficacy of meropenem in addition to evaluate the side effects during management of infected newborns. Methods: It was evaluated 100 newborns of the Neonatal Infectology and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Departments. At 3 years period (January 1998 to January 2001), all patients with sistemic infections and poor response to the common antibiotics was treated with meropenem (40 mg/kg/dose I.V. administration). Results: One hundred patients were enrolled into the study. Sepsis and abdominal infections were observed in 75% patients; esofagic and intestinal atresia, necrotizing enterocolitis, anorectal malformations and prematurity was primordial diagnosis. All newborns was previous treated with antibiotics before meropenem therapy. 90% patients were invasive procedures before to infection. 80% cases presented bacteria isolated. Klebsiella pneumoniae was common pathogen in 46.2% cases, Enterobacter cloacae 23.7%, Pseudomonas aeruginosa 7.5%, Staphylococcus sp 11.2%. Fifteen patients died (15% cases); all isolates was multiresistant strains for common antibiotics. The clinical response were observed in 76% cases. None newborn patient developed convulsive crisis neither renal failure because of use meropenem. Conclusion: Meropenem will use as drug choice or alternative drug for serious infections in newborn of countries with multiresistant strains also in newborn with multiple invasive procedures. 1115