title: Salmonella infections in a cancer center.
abstract: Data concerning 40 patients hospitalized in a cancer center and Salmonella infection were analyzed. Hematological malignancy was present in 24 patients (60%) and solid tumor in 14 patients (35%). Among the predisposing factors, antineoplastic chemotherapy was the most frequent (60%) followed by antacid use (47.5%), corticosteroids (37.5%), granulocytopenia below 500 neutrophils/microliters (15%), surgery (10%) and splenectomy (2.5%). Bacteremia was the most frequent clinical syndrome accounting for 42.5% of the patients. Focal infection, enteritis and carrier state accounted for the remaining 30%, 20% and 7.5% respectively. Salmonella typhimurium and S. dublin represented 65% of the isolates, with clear association between serotype dublin and bacteremia. All S. dublin isolates were resistant to chloramphenicol. Among dublin and typhimurium serotypes, 20% the isolates were resistant to the traditional antibiotics used in salmonellosis (ampicillin, chloramphenicol, cotrimoxazole). All strains were susceptible in vitro to cephalosporins. The frequency of relapse was 15% and the overall mortality (within 30 days) attributed to Salmonella infection was 15%.
authors.affiliation: Servicio Medecina Interna, Hospital Dipreca, Los Condes, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Noriega
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van der Auwera
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Daneau
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meunier
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aoun
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005490:Focal Infection / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D012008:Recurrence; D012475:Salmonella / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012480:Salmonella Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D012477:Salmonella enteritidis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015996:Survival Rate