Home Neoplasma 2011 Neoplasma Vol.58, No.4, p.326-330, 2011

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ISSN 0028-2685
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Neoplasma Vol.58, No.4, p.326-330, 2011

Title: Blood stream infections throught the entire course of acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment
Author: K. KATSIBARDI, V. PAPADAKIS, A. CHARISIADOU, A. PANGALIS, S. POLYCHRONOPOULOU

Abstract: The incidence, type and mortality of bacteremias were evaluated in a pediatric patient cohort, during the entire course of treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
Eighty-six patients with newly diagnosed ALL were studied. A bacteremic episode was defined as blood isolation of a pathogen in the presence of clinical symptomatology of septicaemia. Bacteremias were analyzed according to the treatment element being delivered and the degree of neutropenia. A central venous catheter (CVC) was inserted at diagnosis in all patients.
Fifty-two episodes of bacteremias were encountered in 38/86 (44%) patients, while 48/86 patients had no positive blood culture. Three out of the 38 patients had bacteremia and CVC area infection, simultaneously. Most blood stream infections (29/52, 56%) were documented during the induction phase. Isolated Gram-positive organisms were 48%, Gram-negative 50% and 2% of the positive blood cultures represented fungaemias. The most common Gram-positive isolates were Staphylococcus species (N=22) and the commonest Gram-negative isolated pathogens were Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The majority of bacteremias (75%) occurred during neutropenia. The initial antibiotic treatment was ceftazidime or piperacillin/tazobactam and amikacin or tobramycin. CVC was not removed in the majority of bacteremias (94%). No infection related fatality was recorded. Bacteremias constituted a severe and common complication in our patient cohort. However, infection-related fatality rate was negligible, most probably due to the prompt initiation of broad coverage antimicrobial therapy.

Keywords: bacteremia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, childhood, central venous catheter, Staphylococcus
Year: 2011, Volume: 58, Issue: 4 Page From: 326, Page To: 330
doi:10.4149/neo_2011_04_326


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