Cefepime monotherapy for treatment of febrile neutropenia in children.
OBJECTIVE
Empirical therapy for children with febrile neutropenia has traditionally consisted of combination antibiotics, usually a beta-lactam and an aminoglycoside. However, recent trends and international guidelines have now made monotherapy a feasible option in the management of this group of patients. We prospectively evaluated the efficacy and safety of cefepime monotherapy in our population of paediatric cancer patients with febrile neutropenia.


METHODS
An audit was performed on children aged 16 years and younger presenting with fever and neutropenia who were managed with empirical single-agent cefepime. The patients were analysed for clinical outcome, documented infections and side-effects of the study drug. Success was defined as clinical improvement without treatment modification. Death or any change to the empirical antibiotic was considered as failure.


RESULTS
In this study 79 children (median age 5.2 years) with 133 episodes of febrile neutropenia were prospectively studied between August 2004 and August 2005. A microbiologically documented infection was seen in 26 episodes. The success rate of cefepime monotherapy was 60%. The rate of survival through neutropenia (with or without modification) was 98%. No significant adverse effects were seen.


CONCLUSIONS
Cefepime monotherapy is a safe and feasible option for treatment of childhood cancer patients with febrile neutropenia.
Ariffin
Hany
H
Department of Paediatrics, University of Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. hany@um.edu.my
Ai
Chong Lee
CL
Lee
Chan Lee
CL
Abdullah
Wan Ariffin
WA
D000293:Adolescent; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077723:Cefepime; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008296:Malaysia; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002511:Cephalosporins; D014640:Vancomycin; D000077723:Cefepime