Co-trimoxazole versus non-absorbable antibiotics in acute leukaemia.

Abstract In a single-centre prospective trial patients with acute myeloid leukaemia in protective isolation and undergoing remission induction or allogeneic bone-marrow transplantation were randomised to receive one of two prophylactic antibacterial regimens—absorbable co-trimoxazole or non-absorbable neomycin plus colistin. Co-trimoxazole prevented infection more effectively and was associated with less gastrointestinal disturbance, but it may have caused some bone-marrow suppression.