Empirical antibiotic therapy in febrile patients with neutropenia and malignant disease

Improved patient survival for acute myeloid leukemia: a population-based study of 9729 patients diagnosed in Sweden between 1973 and 2005

“…In the early 1970s when DA was introduced, there were only modest improvements in survival because of a high rate of lethal infectious complications. 19 TRM decreased substantially when empirical use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and antifungal therapy were introduced. 19,21,42 Altogether, in modern AML treatment, short-term mortality resulting from infectious complications has been reported to be as low as 4%.…”

“…19 TRM decreased substantially when empirical use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and antifungal therapy were introduced. 19,21,42 Altogether, in modern AML treatment, short-term mortality resulting from infectious complications has been reported to be as low as 4%. 43 The introduction of consolidation treatment 44,45 has lowered the relapse rate and contributes in part to the improvement in 5-and 10-year RSRs.…”

“…[16][17][18] In the early 1970s when DA was introduced, treatment-related mortality (TRM) was substantial because of a high incidence of severe infectious complications. 19 Improvements in supportive care have reduced TRM after conventional chemotherapy as well as after allo-SCT. [20][21][22][23] AML is a heterogeneous disease where treatment has to be tailored according to age, performance status, and other established prognostic factors.…”

Utility of obtaining blood cultures in febrile neutropenic patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation

“…[15][16][17] Because of the profound decrement in the absolute neutrophil count, neutropenic patients may not mount a local inflammatory response when infected. 18,19 As a result, most transplant centers obtain serial blood cultures from patients during neutropenic episodes following an initial fever.…”

Indications for Systemic Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Neutropenic Patients

“…The natural history of infection in these patients is one of rapid deterioration, and death often occurs before the infectng organism has been isolated (Schimpff et al, 1971). This has prompted us to advocate the empirical use of antibiotic combinations for episodes of presumed infection in these patients (Tattersall et al, 1972;Gaya et al, 1973;Tattersall et al, 1973), and this has been the suibject of a recent symposium (European 7ournal of Cancer, 1973).…”