title: Comparison of efficacy and safety of teicoplanin and vancomycin in children with antineoplastic therapy-associated febrile neutropenia and gram-positive bacteremia.
abstract: To compare their efficacy and safety, teicoplanin and vancomycin were randomly administered to 32 children for 52 gram-positive bacteremias during malignancy-associated neutropenia (<1000/microl). Patients mainly suffered from hematological malignancies. Twenty-five episodes were treated with teicoplanin (10 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) and 21 with vancomycin (40 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) plus ceftazidime and netilmicin. Six episodes were treated with teicoplanin because of previous "red man" reaction to vancomycin. Staphylococci (12% Staphylococcus aureus) were isolated from 50 episodes and viridans streptococci from 2. Defervescence on 3rd-4th day occurred in 29/31 (93.5%) teicoplanin-treated and 18/21 (85.7%) vancomycin-treated episodes. All 12 teicoplanin-treated and 13/13 vancomycin-treated episodes with repeat blood cultures on 3rd-4th day showed microbiological response. Two teicoplanin-treated and 3 vancomycin-treated patients required antifungals. Mild renal insufficiency appeared in 5 vancomycin-treated patients that was corrected without drug discontinuation. While both glycopeptides exhibit equal clinical and microbiological efficacy, teicoplanin is less likely to induce allergic reactions or nephrotoxicity in children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hippokration Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sidi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roilides
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bibashi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gompakis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsakiri
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Koliouskas
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000187:drug effects; D017334:Teicoplanin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D017334:Teicoplanin; D014640:Vancomycin