[Usefulness of the MASCC scale in the management of neutropenic fever induced by chemotherapy in patients with solid neoplasm].
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to describe chemotherapy-induced neutropenic fever (NF) in patients with solid neoplasms (SN), to validate the Multinational Association of Support Treatment in Cancer (MASCC) scale, and to evaluate whether the use of the MASCC scale was useful for reducing hospital costs for this oncologic emergency and improving the quality of life.


METHODS
We performed a prospective study on the incidence of chemotherapy-induced NF from December 2005 to November 2006 and calculated the sensitivity and specificity of the MASCC scale. We compared different parameters before and after (periods 1 and 2) the inclusion of the MASCC scale.


RESULTS
We included 80 episodes of NF, 48.8% being of low risk. The sensitivity and the specificity of the MASCC scale were 86.3% (19/22) and 62% (26/58), respectively. 16 patients were discharged early (<3 days). Hospital costs were significantly lower during period 2.


CONCLUSIONS
The MASCC scale is a safe tool for stratifying the risk of cancer patients and chemotherapy-induced NF. However, greater specificity would allow a greater reduction in hospital costs and improve the quality of life of these patients.
Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Investigador de la red CIBERES, Barcelona, España.
María Del Carmen
Mdel C
Gayol
Albert
A
Font
Irma
I
Casas
Oriol
O
Estrada
M Jesús
MJ
Domínguez
M Luisa
ML
Pedro-Botet
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D011788:Quality of Life
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents