title: Oral infections and fever in immunocompromised patients with haematologic malignancies.
abstract: The purpose of the study was to determine the prevalence of acute oral infections and to estimate their role as a possible cause of fever in immunocompromised patients with haematologic malignancies. Seventy-eight febrile episodes in 46 patients were analyzed prospectively and consecutively. An association between a rise in the leukocyte and platelet counts and normalization of the temperature was found. Acute infections were present in 92% of the febrile episodes no infectious cause could be demonstrated in the remaining 8%. Acute oral infections were present during 78% and acute extraoral infections during 73% of the febrile episodes. Acute candidiasis and infected mucosal ulcers were the most prevalent oral infections, occurring in about one-half and one-third of the episodes, respectively. Septicaemia and pneumonia were the most prevalent extraoral infections, each present in about one-fourth of the febrile episodes. Acute oral infections were a probable cause of fever in 14% of the febrile episodes and a possible or a contributing cause of fever in a further 26%. The results suggest that effective treatment or prevention of acute oral infections may reduce the morbidity and perhaps even the mortality in immunocompromised patients.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Medicine and Haematology, Aarhus Amtssygehus, Denmark.
authors.forename: O J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Bergmann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001831:Body Temperature; D002180:Candidiasis, Oral / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007239:Infections / Q000209:etiology; D007938:Leukemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D010976:Platelet Count; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000150:complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents