Infection analysis in acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a report of 499 consecutive episodes in India.

1994 
The we of empirical antibiotic combinations in the treatmnt of febrile neutropenic patients has decreased complication-related mortality in cancer patients. We have analyzed retrospectively 499 consecutive episodes of fever in 432 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia over α 5-year period. We have compared various antibiotic combinations used empirically in our study. Of the febrile episodes, 92% were neutropenic. The most common site of clinical documentation was the lung. The most common pathogen isolated in our setting was Pseudomonas aeuroginosa (27.27%). The overall response rate to first-line empirical antibiotic combination was seen in 61.92%, the best results being with ceftazidime and amikacin combination (65.69%). A uniform antibiotic policy resulted in a decrease in mortality, with the number of deaths decreasing significantly in the 1989 to 1991 era (P = 0.00000003). The other contributing factors were an improvement in the supportive care with a reduction in length of hospital stay durin...
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