title: The Role of Corticosteroids in Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome caused by Viridans Group Streptococci Bacteremia in Neutropenic Patients.
abstract: In the past decades, viridans group Streptococci (VGS) have emerged as an important cause of bacteremia in neutropenic patients with cancer. The clinical course of VGS bacteremia can be devastating including septic shock and adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). It has been suggested that septicemia with VGS triggers the development of noncardiogenic pulmonary edema in patients with pre-existing damage of the lungs due to aggressive cytotoxic treatment. Thus, the preemptive administration of corticosteroid to patients diagnosed with VGS bacteremia with early onset of respiratory failure has been employed to prevent ARDS. While this management strategy has been suggested in the literature, little published data are available to validate this practice. In this study, we sought to review the benefit of early administration of corticosteroid to patients who developed symptom or early signs of respiratory failure while being neutropenic with VGS bacteremia.
authors.affiliation: H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute. 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, Florida 33612-9497.
authors.forename: Abraham T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Yacoub
authors.affiliation: H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute. 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, Florida 33612-9497.
authors.forename: Lysenia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mojica
authors.affiliation: University of South Florida, Division of Infectious Diseases. 1 Tampa General Circle, G323, Tampa, FL 33606.
authors.forename: Lily
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: University of South Florida, Division of Infectious Diseases. 1 Tampa General Circle, G323, Tampa, FL 33606.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Knab
authors.affiliation: University of South Florida, Division of Infectious Diseases. 1 Tampa General Circle, G323, Tampa, FL 33606.
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alrabaa
authors.affiliation: H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute. 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, Florida 33612-9497 ; University of South Florida, Division of Infectious Diseases. 1 Tampa General Circle, G323, Tampa, FL 33606.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Greene