Suspected infections in children treated for ALL.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of our study was to get epidemiological information on bacterial infections in children treated for ALL and to analyse which patients have an enhanced infection risk.


METHODS
Episodes of suspected or confirmed infections were evaluated during the first 12 months of treatment for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).


RESULTS
The number of patients was 73 (43 boys). The median age was 4.6 years. A total of 179 episodes occurred, varying from none in six patients to eight in one. Bacteria were cultured in 57 episodes (31.8%), the most common being coagulase-negative staphylococci. The number of episodes fell significantly with increasing age for suspected and confirmed infections (p < 0.001 and p = 0.03). The proportion of confirmed infections was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in the first episodes. The average number of suspected infections was higher in girls than in boys (p = 0.03), but confirmed infections were not.


CONCLUSIONS
Most of the serious infections occur early in the treatment and the number of suspected and confirmed infections falls with age. Suspicion of infection is more likely in girls, but the number of confirmed infections is equal in both sexes. Coagulase-negative staphylococcus was most commonly isolated, highlighting the importance of careful handling of central venous devices.
Hafsteinsdóttir
Sólveig
S
Children's Hospital Iceland, Landspítali - University Hospital, Reykjavík, Iceland.
Jónasson
Kristján
K
Jónmundsson
Gudmundur K
GK
Kristinsson
Jón R
JR
Jónsson
Olafur Gísli
OG
Alfredsdóttir
Inga Huld
IH
Cilio
Corrado
C
Wiebe
Thomas
T
Haraldsson
Asgeir
A
D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000209:etiology; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents