The neutropenic diet historically has been a mainstay in oncology practice, with many providers continuing to adhere tightly to the diet for patients with neutropenia. However, clinically sound evidence remains limited and weak and does not support the diet as a foundation for policy and practice. Therefore, two questions remain: Does evidence exist to support the effectiveness of the neutropen...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To determine whether use of the neutropenic diet in the outpatient setting decreases the number of febrile admissions and positive blood cultures associated with chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. DESIGN Descriptive pilot study. SETTING Outpatient chemotherapy unit of a medical center in a major metropolitan area. SAMPLE Convenience sample of 28 patients aged 33-67 years...

For decades, the concept of a neutropenic diet has implied a strict limitation of foods allowed for consumption, as a presumptive means of reducing the risk of infection in cancer patients. The rationale was to limit the introduction of potentially harmful bacteria into the gastrointestinal tract by the restriction of certain foods that might harbor those organisms. However, this concept has no...

Background: The use of a neutropenic diet after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) was instituted more than 30 years ago. This diet was targeted toward preventing from infection with organisms colonizing the gastrointestinal tract and the food-borne pathogens, which are the most important cause of illness and death in developing countries. Regarding this, the present study aimed to ...

BACKGROUND Historically, dietary restrictions imposed on patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) were severe and limited to prevent exposure to foodborne organisms. With improvements in supportive care and anti-infective agents, the necessity of the neutropenic diet for this population has been in question. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to determine whether the incide...

The use of low microbial diets for immune-suppressed patients is controversial (1). Low microbial diets are intended to reduce the ingestion of bacterial and fungal contaminants by the exclusion of uncooked fruits and vegetables, undercooked eggs and meat, un-sterilized water, un-pasteurized dairy products (2). In this issue of the Revista Brasileira de Hematologia e Hemoterapia, Galati et al. ...

As practicing doctors and a practicing nutritionist in a large pediatric oncology program, we applaud Nicole Fox and Alison Freifeld for questioning the utility of the neutropenic diet. Not only is this diet poorly defined, with wide institutional variability, but it also places an added burden on an already at-risk population. We have seen the confusion among both families and practitioners tr...

The purpose of our study was to evaluate the dietary intake of kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) and assess oral intake related nutrition problems. Fifty patients who had undergone kidney transplantation were included: 24 males, 26 females. The mean age was 46.8 ± 11.2 years, height was 161.3 ± 8.3 cm, and body weight was 60.5 ± 8.7 kg. We conducted nutrition education based on the diet guide...