title: Fungemia in acute leukemia patients: a single institution's experience.
abstract: A retrospective study was conducted in 22 episodes of candidemia in 445 patients with acute leukemia (AL) (incidence 4.9%) observed at our Institution between February 1996 and November 2003 to evaluate the variables related to the onset and outcome of infection. Of 22 patients, 20 (90.9%) had refractory/relapsed AL. C. albicans was responsible for 7/22 of the fungemia cases (32%) and C. non albicans for 15/22 (68%). The median absolute neutrophil count was 0.1 x10(9)/L (range 0.04-0.3) at the time of the candidemia diagnosis. The fungemia responded to antifungal therapy in 15/22 (68.1%) patients; among patients with a positive outcome of the fungemia, in 14/15 (93.3%) the neutrophil count recovered within 7 days after the diagnosis of candidemia (p < 0.05). The mortality rate due to candidemia was 31.9% (1/7: 14.2% and 6/15: 40% in the C. albicans and C. non albicans groups, respectively). In our experience the determinants of a positive outcome of fungemia were infection by the C. albicans species and recovery of the neutrophil count.
authors.affiliation: Haematology, University of Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Specchia
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pastore
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Montagna
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carluccio
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ciuffreda
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rizzi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liso
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002175:Candida / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D016469:Fungemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000150:complications*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies