The epidemiology of bacteremia with febrile neutropenia: experience from a single center, 1988-2004.
BACKGROUND
The epidemiology of bacteremic febrile neutropenia differs between locations and constitutes the basis for selection of empiric antibiotic therapy for febrile neutropenia.


OBJECTIVE
To describe the epidemiology of bacteremia among patients with neutropenia in a single center in Israel.


METHODS
We conducted a prospective data collection on all patients with neutropenia (< 500/mm3) and clinically significant bacteremia or fungemia during the period 1988-2004.


RESULTS
Among adults (462 episodes) the most common bloodstream isolate was Escherichia coli. Gram-negative bacteria predominated throughout the study period and the ratio between Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteremia increased from 1.7 to 2.3. Among children (752 episodes), the ratio between Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteremia reversed from 1.2 to 0.7, due to increasing prevalence of coagulase-negative staphylcoccal bacteremia. Both among adults and children, the length of hospital stay prior to bacteremia had a major impact on the pathogens causing bacteremia and their antibiotic susceptibilities. The prevalence of E. coli decreased with time in hospital, while the rates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter spp., Acinetobacter spp., Enterococcus spp. and Candida spp. increased. Resistance to broad-spectrum empiric monotherapy in our center was observed in > 40% of Gram-negative bacteria when bacteremia was acquired after 14 days in hospital.


CONCLUSIONS
Improved infection-control measures for neutropenic cancer patients in our center are needed. Empiric antibiotic treatment should be tailored to patients' risk for multidrug-resistant organisms. Individual hospitals should monitor infection epidemiology among cancer patients to guide empiric antibiotic treatment.
Paul
Mical
M
Department of Medicine E, Rabin Medical Center (Beilinson Campus), Petah Tikva, Israel. pil1pel@zahav.net.il
Gafter-Gvili
Anat
A
Leibovici
Leonard
L
Bishara
Jihad
J
Levy
Itzhak
I
Yaniv
Isaac
I
Shalit
Itamar
I
Samra
Zmira
Z
Pitlik
Silvio
S
Konigsberger
Hanna
H
Weinberger
Miriam
M
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D002648:Child; D003428:Cross Infection; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000382:microbiology; D016469:Fungemia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012307:Risk Factors