OBJECTIVE To observe the clinical effects of tigecycline combined with cefoperazone-sulbactam (CS) and carbapenems (meropenem, imipenem cilastatin sodium and biapenem) on treatment of the patients with carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) pulmonary infection and analyze the safety.

METHODS The patients with CRAB pulmonary infection who were given tigecycline combined with CS (the T+CS group, 43 cases) and tigecycline combined with carbapenems (the T+C group, 47 cases) were recruited as the research subjects. The clinical data and clinical outcomes were observed and compared between the two groups of patients. The difference in survival curve between the two groups was assessed by Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS The baseline clinical data of the two groups were similar. There were no significant differences in age, gender, underlying disease, status of complication with infection and laboratory test indexes between the two groups. The number of the patients who received enteral nutrition therapy and had septic shock was larger in the T+C group than in the T+CS group (P < 0.05). The 30-day mortality rate and the failed rate of eradication of microorganisms of the T+C group were higher than those of the T+CS group (P < 0.05). The result of Log-Rank test indicated that there was significant difference in the survival curve between the two groups of patients (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION Tigecycline combined with cefoperazone-sulbactam is more valuable than the combination with carbapenems for treatment of the patients with CRAB pulmonary infection.