title: Clinical and economic considerations of empirical antibacterial therapy of febrile neutropenia in cancer.
abstract: Febrile neutropenia is a condition that can develop in patients with cancer following the administration of myelosuppressive chemotherapy or radiation therapy. The current standard of patient management involves the empirical use of a combination of antibacterials or a single broad spectrum agent to offer extensive antibacterial coverage of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative micro-organisms. Over the past 25 years, febrile neutropenia has changed from a condition that was fatal in over 50% of patients to a condition with an infection-related mortality rate of less than 10%. A major reason behind these extraordinary advances in patient care has been the many well-designed randomised trials of empirical antibacterial therapy that have been conducted over this period of time. In contrast to this finding, a review of the literature revealed limited economic data on the empirical treatment of febrile neutropenia in patients with cancer. Therefore, there is a definite need to conduct more pharmacoeconomic research in this area and to develop methods of implementing the findings of such studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Services, Ontario Cancer Institute/Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Canada. george_dranitsaris@pmh.toronto.on.ca
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dranitsaris
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics* / Q000209:etiology; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005334:Fever / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000191:economics*; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents