title: Significance of serum bactericidal activity in gram-negative bacillary bacteremia in patients with and without granulocytopenia.
abstract: Serum bactericidal activity was determined routinely in 89 patients with gram-negative bacillary bacteremia, 79 of whom were analyzed because they had granulocyte counts either below 100/mm3 or above 1,000/mm3. A peak (one hour after the administration of the antibiotics) serum bactericidal titer of 1:8 or more in non-granulocytopenic patients or 1:16 or more in severely granulocytopenic patients could be correlated with a favorable clinical response, in 98 percent (44 of 45) (p less than 0.0001) and 87 percent (20 of 23), (p less than 0.001) respectively. Granulocytopenic patients required a statistically significantly higher serum bactericidal activity for a favorable response. Serum bactericidal activity appears to be a useful and simple method to monitor antibiotic treatment in gram-negative bacillary bacteremia, especially when combination therapy is used.
mesh_terms: D000380:Agranulocytosis / Q000150:complications*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D001770:Blood Bactericidal Activity; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000150:complications; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000150:complications*; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care