PURPOSE Procalcitonin has proven to be a sensitive inflammatory marker in non-neutropenic patients. The aim of this study was to determine and compare Procalcitonin with other inflammatory markers in the serum of immunosuppressed children with haematological malignancies; and to assess the predictive value of these mediators in distinguishing between bacterial and non-bacterial infection. MET...

Intensive chemotherapy/radiotherapy in cancer, especially with hematologic malignancies, causes cellular injury and suppression of inflammatory responses, which increase the risks neutropenia febrile episodes. Absolute neutrophil count < 1 ? 109/L is considered neutropenia, absolute 0.5 or that expected to decrease next 48 hours severe while 0.1 109 referred as profound neutropenia. Febrile ...

Infection continues to be a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with neoplastic disorders who are treated with myelosuppressive chemotherapy.1 In a granulocytopenic patient, fever may be the first and only sign of infection.2 Other clinical signs and symptoms that often indicate an infectious process may be blunted or missing in the presence of neutropenia. Thus, treating all f...

PURPOSE To provide guidelines on antimicrobial prophylaxis for adult neutropenic oncology outpatients and on selection and treatment as outpatients of those with fever and neutropenia. METHODS A literature search identified relevant studies published in English. Primary outcomes included: development of fever and/or infections in afebrile neutropenic outpatients and recovery without complicat...

1. Klastersky JA. Use of imipenem as empirical treatment of febrile neutropenia. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2003; 21: 393–402. 2. Hughes WT, Armstrong D, Bodey GP et al. 2002 guidelines for the use of antimicrobial agents in neutropenic patients with cancer. Clin Infect Dis 2002; 34: 730–51. 3. Mouton JW, Touzw DJ, Horrevorts AM et al. Comparative pharmacokinetics of the carbapenems: clinical impl...

Although it is apparent that certain patients with febrile neutropenic episodes can benefit from outpatient antibiotic therapy, not all low-risk patients are treated in this fashion. There are barriers, real and perceived, to implementing this approach for patients, health care providers, and caregivers. Table 3 summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of ambulatory management of febrile neu...

Background: Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia is a major dose-limiting toxicity of systemic cancer chemotherapy, and it is associated with substantial morbidity, mortality, and costs. The ability to predict the group of patients who are at high risk for neutropenic complications might help to reduce the morbidity due to febrile neutropenia and increase the likelihood of delivering full chemother...

OBJECTIVE Infections are the major cause of morbidity and mortality in febrile neutropenic patients with malignancy. Rapid diagnostic tests are needed for prompt diagnosis and early treatment which is crucial for optimal management. We assessed the utility of soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (sTREM-1) in the diagnosis of bacteremia and fungemia in febrile neutropenic patie...

BACKGROUND The incidence of bacteremia caused by Gram-negative bacteria has increased recently in febrile neutropenic patients with the increase of antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections. This study aimed to identify the distribution of causative bacteria and the proportion of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in bacteremia diagnosed in febrile neutropenic children. MATERIALS AND...