Footwear exchange has no influence on the incidence of febrile neutropenia in patients undergoing chemotherapy for hematologic malignancies.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether footwear exchange affects the incidence of febrile neutropenia among patients undergoing chemotherapy for hematologic malignancies.


METHODS
Open trial with historical comparison.


METHODS
The 12-bed high-efficiency particulate air-filtered hematology unit at Osaka University Hospital, Suita, Japan.


METHODS
Those with hematologic malignancies who underwent chemotherapy from January 1997 through January 2003. Footwear exchange was discontinued in January 2000.


METHODS
The surveillance system was based on the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rates of febrile neutropenia were calculated for neutropenic patient-days (ie, days with neutropenia < 500/microL).


RESULTS
From January 1997 through December 1999 and from February 2000 through January 2003, 58 and 54 patients endured 237 and 184 neutropenic periods following chemotherapy, and their total neutropenic days were 3,123 and 2,503, respectively. They showed episodes of febrile neutropenia 89 and 68 times, respectively. Infection rates were 28.5 and 27.2 per 1,000 neutropenic patient-days (P = .83), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of febrile neutropenia was not affected by footwear exchange. In hematology units, changing shoes does not appear to affect the rate of infections during neutropenic periods.
Sugahara
Hiroyuki
H
Department of Hematology and Oncology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan.
Mizuki
Masao
M
Matsumae
Sayoko
S
Nabetani
Yoshiko
Y
Kikuchi
Motoko
M
Kanakura
Yuzuru
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005334:Fever / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012775:Shoes; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents