title: Suspected infections in children treated for ALL.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital Iceland, Landspítali - University Hospital, Reykjavík, Iceland.
authors.forename: Sólveig
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hafsteinsdóttir
authors.forename: Kristján
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jónasson
authors.forename: Gudmundur K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Jónmundsson
authors.forename: Jón R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Kristinsson
authors.forename: Olafur Gísli
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Jónsson
authors.forename: Inga Huld
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Alfredsdóttir
authors.forename: Corrado
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cilio
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wiebe
authors.forename: Asgeir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haraldsson
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents