Fever in acute myelogenous leukemia.
Implications and course of fever were evaluated during hospitalization of 24 patients with acute myelogenous leukemia. Forty-five febrile episodes were identified. Fever present at admission was usually associated with a diagnosable and treatable infection; fever shortly after induction was self-limited; and fever during granulocytopenia was more likely to be associated with bacteremia. Bacteremia and pneumonia were the most common types of infection. Only Gram-negative bacteria and Candida were identified as causes of infection during life, with Pseudomonas and Klebsiella the most frequently isolated pathogens. Invasive candidiasis was a major postmortem finding. A delay in initiation of empirical treatment beyond the third day of fever was associated with an increase in mortality as was continuation of treatment for longer than 14 days.
D000380:Agranulocytosis / Q000150:complications; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003630:Daunorubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007710:Klebsiella Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D013866:Thioguanine / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D003561:Cytarabine; D013866:Thioguanine; D003630:Daunorubicin