[Effectiveness of combined vancomycin and pefloxacine in gastrointestinal decontamination for preventing infections after chemotherapy-induced bone marrow aplasia. A randomized double-blind study].
OBJECTIVE
To test the value of the combination of pefloxacin and vancomycin as gastro-intestinal tract decontamination for the prevention of infections in patients with chemotherapy-induced neutropenia.


METHODS
Oral pefloxacin plus vancomycin (48 patients), pefloxacin alone (51 patients), or placebo (52 patients) were administered in a randomized double-blind study. Evaluation was done by determining site and documentation of infections, organisms responsible for bacteriologically documented infections, organisms acquired in surveillance cultures and number of days with fever during aplasia.


RESULTS
Patients receiving pefloxacin had significantly fewer episodes of bacteremia with enterobacteriacae. No differences were noted between patients treated by pefloxacin and those who received a combination of pefloxacin with vancomycin regarding gram-positive (Gram+) infections and infections with gram-negative (Gram-) organisms usually resistant to pefloxacin. However, placebo gave similar results. There was no induction of resistance to pefloxacin during the study. Tolerance of treatment was excellent. Only a prolonged aplasia has been observed in patients receiving pefloxacin.


CONCLUSIONS
Thus, the combination of vancomycin with pefloxacin was not more efficacious than pefloxacin only for the prevention of Gram+ infections in the neutropenic patient. The systematic use of antibiotics as gastrointestinal tract decontamination for the prevention of infections in patients with aplasia may be questionable.
Thomas
X
X
Service d'Hématologie clinique, Hôpital Edouard Herriot, Lyon. xavier.thomas@chu-lyon.fr
Troncy
J
J
Belhabri
A
A
Thiebaut
A
A
Bouheddou
N
N
Michallet
M
M
Fleurette
J
J
Pivot
C
C
Fiere
D
D
Archimbaud
E
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016465:Bone Marrow Purging; D004064:Digestive System / Q000382:microbiology*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004756:Enterobacteriaceae Infections / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015366:Pefloxacin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects
D015366:Pefloxacin; D014640:Vancomycin