Comparing the Efficacy of Ceftazidime and Meropenem in Treatment of Febrile Neutropenia in Pediatric Patients with Cancer

BACKGROUND In cancer patients, various infections were developed due to severe neutropenia resulted from chemotherapy. Ceftazidime is commonly used as monotherapy of cancer patients with fever and neutropenia. Meropenem is a new carbapenem with more extended antibacterial spectrum including anaerobes. It provides better coverage against gram positives. This trial compared the efficacy and safety of meropenem with ceftazidime as empirical monotherapy for febrile neutropenia in pediatric patients with cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS A prospective, double-blind, randomized clinical trial was conducted at Departments of Pediatric Haematology/Oncology, University Hospitals, Yazd, Iran, during the years 2012 to 2013. A total of 48 cancer patients participated in the trial. RESULT In this study, 26 patients (54.16%) were treated by ceftazidime and 22 patients (45.84%) by meropenem. Mean duration of fever in those who responded to treatment in ceftazidime group was 19.43+/-31.04 hours, and in meropenem group was 16.53+/-28.77 hours (P-value = 0.965). CONCLUSION Finding of this study indicate that ceftazidime and meropenem have similar efficacy in treatment of fever and sever neutropenia. Due to more availability and lower cost of ceftazidime than meropenem, ceftazidime is suggested as a first line treatment in fever and neutropenia.