Treatment of febrile neutropenia: what is new?
OBJECTIVE
To identify the more recent challenges in the treatment of patients with febrile neutropenia following antineoplastic chemotherapy or bone marrow transplant published in the English language in the period late 2000-early 2002 regarding: changes in etiology of bacteremia in neutropenic patients; new options for initial empirical antibacterial therapy; factors associated with the risk of developing infection in cancer patients; prediction of prognosis in febrile neutropenia; oral therapy; need for a specific anti-Gram-positive coverage in persistently febrile and neutropenic patients.


RESULTS
Findings may be summarized according with the identified topics as follows: many centers are reporting an increase in the incidence of Gram-negative bacteremias; piperacillin-tazobactam could be safely administered as monotherapy of febrile neutropenia; congenital factors and intensity of chemotherapy and other medical interventions, such as antifungal prophylaxis, are recognized as of increasing importance in the determination of infectious risk; it is now possible to identify patients with a good prognosis (low risk) by means of validated scoring systems; oral therapy is feasible in low risk patients; the empirical addition of a glycopeptide in persistently febrile neutropenic patients is not indicated.


CONCLUSIONS
Many of the identified points may have a great impact in the daily management of febrile granulocytopenic patients. However, all recent epidemiological and therapeutical studies underline the absoloute need for the knowledge of the pattern of infecting organisms in each center.
Viscoli
Claudio
C
Infectious Disease Unit, National Institute for Cancer Research, University of Genoa, Italy. viscolic@unige.it
Castagnola
Elio
E
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology*; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000209:etiology*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents