Once Daily Dosing of Netilmicin in the Empirical Treatment of Fever in the Neutropenic Patient

The combination of aminoglycosides with betalactams is frequently used as empirical therapy for serious infections in neutropenic patients. The dosing regimens for aminoglycosides usually include thrice or twice daily divided dosing. Recent experimental and clinical studies have suggested that once daily administration of aminoglycosides may be similar or less toxic and slightly more or as effective as the conventional thrice daily divided dosing. The human trials that have been published so far included only very few or no neutropenic patients at all. In the present study we evaluated the safety and efficacy of a once daily dosing regimen of netilmicin in combination with betalactam antibiotics in the empirical treatment of febrile neutropenic patients.