The author reports the cases of four patients diagnosed with infections caused by bacterial strains producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) and successfully treated by ertapenem, an antibiotic from the class of carbapenems. This alternate broad-spectrum antibiotic is characterized by stability against the effects of most of the beta-lactamases.
The mechanism of its effect can be described as an inhibition of bacterial cell wall synthesis by connection to penicillin binding proteins (PBPs) followed by preventing transpeptidation of peptidoglycan, it is bactericidal (5, 7).