[Efficacy of intravenous administration of itraconazole on fungal infections in immunocompromised patients with hematological diseases].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the efficacy of intravenous administration of itraconazole on fungal infections in immunocompromised patients with hematological diseases according to stratified diagnoses.


METHODS
Twenty-five patients with hematological diseases who were diagnosed according to the criteria of European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), including 6 cases with confirmed diagnosis diagnosis, 12 cases with clinical diagnosis, and 7 cases with recommended diagnosis, underwent intravenous injection of itraconazole 125 approximately 200 mg bid for 2 days and then qd for at most 2 weeks and then oral administration of itraconazole 0.4 g/day for at most 2 weeks, and then the repeated regimen with a course of treatment of 1 approximately 3 months from 2002 to 2004. Eighteen cases were diagnosed with lung infection, 1 case with sinuses and trachea infection, and the infection sites were not documented for other 7 cases. The clinical results were analyzed.


RESULTS
The effective rates of the patients with confirmed diagnosis, with clinical diagnosis, and with recommended diagnosis were 66.7% (4/6), 83.3% (10/12), and 14.3% (1/7) respectively. The effective rates of the patients with major imaging signs and those with secondary imaging signs were 90.0% (9/10) and 97.1% (4/7). There was a significant difference between the curative effects of the patients with confirmed diagnosis and those with recommended diagnosis (P = 0.006).


CONCLUSIONS
Fungal infections in immunocompromised patients with hematological diseases can be successfully treated with intravenous administration of itraconazole.
Wang
Jing-zhi
JZ
Institute of Hematology, Peking University, Beijing 100044, China.
Huang
Xiao-jun
XJ
Liu
Kai-yan
KY
Liu
Dai-hong
DH
Chen
Huan
H
Xu
Lan-ping
LP
Lu
Jin
J
Zhang
Yao-chen
YC
Han
Wei
W
Lu
Dao-pei
DP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D017964:Itraconazole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009181:Mycoses / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000935:Antifungal Agents; D017964:Itraconazole