title: Effect of leaving chronic oral foci untreated on infectious complications during intensive chemotherapy.
abstract: Leukaemic patients receiving intensive chemotherapy and patients undergoing autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) are routinely screened for oral foci of infection to reduce infectious complications that could occur during therapy. In this prospective study we assessed the effect of leaving chronic oral foci of infection untreated on the development of infectious complications in intensively treated haematological patients.
  
  
  
  We included and prospectively evaluated all intensively treated leukaemic patients and patients undergoing ASCT who were referred to our medical centre between September 2012 and May 2014, and who matched the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Acute oral foci of infection were removed before chemotherapy or ASCT, whereas chronic oral foci were left untreated.
  
  
  
  In total 28 leukaemic and 35 ASCT patients were included. Acute oral foci of infection were found in 2 leukaemic (7%) and 2 ASCT patients (6%), and chronic oral foci of infection in 24 leukaemic (86%) and 22 ASCT patients (63%). Positive blood cultures with microorganisms potentially originating from the oral cavity occurred in 7 patients during treatment, but were uneventful on development of infectious complications.
  
  
  
  Our prospective study supports the hypothesis that chronic oral foci of infection can be left untreated as this does not increase infectious complications during intensive chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, PO Box 30001, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Schuurhuis
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, PO Box 30001, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: L F R
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Span
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, PO Box 30001, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands.|Department of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, PO Box 30001, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Stokman
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, PO Box 30001, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands.|School of Dentistry and Oral Hygiene, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, PO Box 30001, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: van Winkelhoff
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, PO Box 30001, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vissink
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, PO Box 30001, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: F K L
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Spijkervet
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D060828:Induction Chemotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*