The changing face of febrile neutropenia-from monotherapy to moulds to mucositis. Why empirical therapy?
Why empirical therapy? Because it works! Empirical antimicrobial therapy is a reasonable, pragmatic approach to limit the ominous threat of Gram-negative sepsis in febrile neutropenic cancer patients. Empirical treatment of occult fungal infection in patients with neutropenia and persistent fever, in spite of initial broad-spectrum antimicrobial coverage, is effective but the role of pre-emptive treatment remains to be established.
Department of Medicine, Institut Jules Bordet, 1000 Brussels, Belgium. jean.klastersky@bordet.be
Jean
J
Klastersky
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis / Q000379:methods; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005335:Fever of Unknown Origin / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D009181:Mycoses / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000150:complications*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents