Lack of Effectiveness of Neutropenic Diet and Social Restrictions as Anti-Infective Measures in Children With Acute Myeloid Leukemia: An Analysis of the AML-BFM 2004 Trial.
Although nonpharmacologic anti-infective measures are widely used in children treated for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), there is little evidence of their effectiveness.



We analyzed infectious complications in children during intensive treatment of AML according to the AML-BFM 2004 trial and surveyed sites on institutional standards regarding recommended restrictions of social contacts (six items), pets (five items), and food (eight items). A scoring system was developed with a restriction score for each item. Multivariable Poisson regression adjusted for sex, age, weight group, risk stratification, and prophylactic antibiotics was used to estimate the impact of the restrictions on the incidence ratios of fever of unknown origin, bacteremia, pneumonia, and gastroenteritis.



Data on recommendations of nonpharmacologic anti-infective measures and infectious complications were available in 339 patients treated in 37 institutions. Analyses did not demonstrate a significant benefit of any of the restrictions regarding food, social contacts, and pets on the risk of fever, bacteremia, pneumonia, and gastroenteritis. In contrast, age, weight group, risk stratification, and nonabsorbable antibiotics had some influence on infections complications.



The lack of effectiveness of dietary restrictions and restrictions regarding social contacts and pets should result in reconsideration of anti-infective policies.
Lars Tramsen, Emilia Salzmann-Manrique, Konrad Bochennek, Thomas Klingebiel, and Thomas Lehrnbecher, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt; Dirk Reinhardt, Medical Center, University of Essen, Essen; Ursula Creutzig, Children's Hospital, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; and Lillian Sung, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
Lars
L
Tramsen
Lars Tramsen, Emilia Salzmann-Manrique, Konrad Bochennek, Thomas Klingebiel, and Thomas Lehrnbecher, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt; Dirk Reinhardt, Medical Center, University of Essen, Essen; Ursula Creutzig, Children's Hospital, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; and Lillian Sung, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
Emilia
E
Salzmann-Manrique
Lars Tramsen, Emilia Salzmann-Manrique, Konrad Bochennek, Thomas Klingebiel, and Thomas Lehrnbecher, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt; Dirk Reinhardt, Medical Center, University of Essen, Essen; Ursula Creutzig, Children's Hospital, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; and Lillian Sung, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
Konrad
K
Bochennek
Lars Tramsen, Emilia Salzmann-Manrique, Konrad Bochennek, Thomas Klingebiel, and Thomas Lehrnbecher, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt; Dirk Reinhardt, Medical Center, University of Essen, Essen; Ursula Creutzig, Children's Hospital, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; and Lillian Sung, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
Thomas
T
Klingebiel
Lars Tramsen, Emilia Salzmann-Manrique, Konrad Bochennek, Thomas Klingebiel, and Thomas Lehrnbecher, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt; Dirk Reinhardt, Medical Center, University of Essen, Essen; Ursula Creutzig, Children's Hospital, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; and Lillian Sung, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
Dirk
D
Reinhardt
Lars Tramsen, Emilia Salzmann-Manrique, Konrad Bochennek, Thomas Klingebiel, and Thomas Lehrnbecher, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt; Dirk Reinhardt, Medical Center, University of Essen, Essen; Ursula Creutzig, Children's Hospital, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; and Lillian Sung, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
Ursula
U
Creutzig
Lars Tramsen, Emilia Salzmann-Manrique, Konrad Bochennek, Thomas Klingebiel, and Thomas Lehrnbecher, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt; Dirk Reinhardt, Medical Center, University of Essen, Essen; Ursula Creutzig, Children's Hospital, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; and Lillian Sung, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
Lillian
L
Sung
Lars Tramsen, Emilia Salzmann-Manrique, Konrad Bochennek, Thomas Klingebiel, and Thomas Lehrnbecher, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt; Dirk Reinhardt, Medical Center, University of Essen, Essen; Ursula Creutzig, Children's Hospital, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; and Lillian Sung, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada. thomas.lehrnbecher@kgu.de.
Thomas
T
Lehrnbecher
D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000517:prevention & control; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D005335:Fever of Unknown Origin / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000178:diet therapy; D057805:Pets; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D012307:Risk Factors; D058992:Social Participation
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents