Patient not expected to survive more than 4 days
Patient allergic to a penicillin or a carbapenem
Patient with significant polymicrobial bacteraemia (that is, a Gram positive skin contaminant in one set of blood cultures is not regarded as significant polymicrobial bacteraemia).
Treatment is not with the intent to cure the infection (that is, palliative care is an exclusion).
Pregnancy or breast-feeding.
Use of concomitant antimicrobials in the first 4 days after enrolment with known activity against Gram-negative bacilli (except trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole may be continued as Pneumocystis prophylaxis).
Severe acute illness as defined by Pitt bacteraemia score of >4
Likely source to be from (proven or suspected at the time of randomisation) the central nervous system, e.g. brain abscess, post-surgical meningitis, shunt infection (due to concerns over CNS penetration of piperacillin/tazobactam)

NCT02437045_exc_T1
Observation
survive
NCT02437045_exc_T2
Negation
not
NCT02437045_exc_T3
Value
more than 4 days
NCT02437045_exc_T4
Condition
allergic
NCT02437045_exc_T5
Drug
penicillin
NCT02437045_exc_T6
Drug
carbapenem
NCT02437045_exc_T7
Scope
penicillin or a carbapenem
NCT02437045_exc_T8
Condition
bacteraemia
NCT02437045_exc_T9
Qualifier
polymicrobial
NCT02437045_exc_T12
Drug
antimicrobials
NCT02437045_exc_T13
Qualifier
concomitant
NCT02437045_exc_T14
Temporal
first 4 days after enrolment
NCT02437045_exc_T15
Reference_point
enrolment
NCT02437045_exc_T16
Observation
Gram-negative bacilli
NCT02437045_exc_T17
Negation
except
NCT02437045_exc_T18
Drug
rimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole
NCT02437045_exc_T19
Measurement
Pitt bacteraemia score
NCT02437045_exc_T20
Value
>4
NCT02437045_exc_T21
Condition
brain abscess
NCT02437045_exc_T22
Condition
meningitis
NCT02437045_exc_T23
Qualifier
post-surgical
NCT02437045_exc_T24
Condition
shunt infection