Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia/Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia Requiring Mechanical Ventilatory Support

Exclusion Criteria

• •Patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia caused by pathogens resistant to MERREM
• •Patients with allergies to cephalosporins, penicillins and carbapenems
• •Patients taking anticonvulsant therapy for a known seizure disorder
• •Patients with lung cancer
• •Patients with cystic fibrosis, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), neutropenia, active tuberculosis, or patients taking immunosuppressive therapy in preparation for or following an organ transplant.
• •Patients who are pregnant or breast feeding
• •Patients who are unlikely to survive
• •Patients with certain infections in another area requiring treatment with additional antibiotics
• •Patients with other underlying conditions that would make it difficult to interpret response to study drug.
• •Patients who have been part of another clinical study 30 days before entry into this study.
• •Patients with hypotension (systolic BP \< 85mmHg) or acidosis (arterial pH \<7.25 or serum bicarbonate \<15 mg/dl) despite attempts at fluid resuscitation
• •Patients with profound hypoxia