title: [Infection in elderly leukemic patients].
abstract: Febrile episodes occurring in 29 elderly patients (mean age 75 years) with leukemia, from 1988 to 1993, were reviewed. A febrile episode was defined as a temperature of 38 degrees C or greater for at least 6 hours. The number of febrile episodes was 64. The average was 2.2 febrile episodes per patient. Seventy-two percent of febrile episodes occurred when the patients had neutropenia below 100/microliters, while 16% occurred with neutropenia of 101/microliters to 500/microliters. Causative microorganisms were identified in 48% of total febrile episodes. The most common infectious site was the urinary tract which accounted for 25% of total episodes. Pneumonia and septicemia accounted for 22% of total episodes, respectively. Gram-positive cocci were responsible for 66% of microbiologically documented febrile episodes, while 21% were caused by gram-negative bacilli. Gram-positive cocci, particularly staphylococcus aureus, coagulae-negative staphylococcus and enterococci increased compared with a decade ago in our department. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) was used 12 times for infection. No significant difference in fever amelioration was seen between G-CSF and non-G-CFS cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kikukawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuramoto
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsutsumi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirai
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kumakawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mori
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D007938:Leukemia / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor