cefamandole and Fever-of-Unknown-Origin

Patients were randomly assigned to receive carbenicillin plus tobramycin by continuous infusion (C+T), carbenicillin plus cefamandole by continuous infusion (C+CC) or carbenicillin plus cefamandole by intermittent infusion (C+IC) during 490 febrile episodes. Carbenicillin was administered over 2 hours every 4 hours. The per cent of cures achieved during the 235 documented infections was 65 per cent for C+CC, 57 per cent for C+IC and 54 per cent for C+T. Among those infections caused by single gram-negative bacilli, C+CC produced a higher cure rate than C+IC or C+T(74 per cent versus 59 per cent versus 50 per cent). C+CC was significantly more effective than C+IC among patients with persistent severe neutropenia of less than 100 neutrophils/mm3 (65 per cent versus 21 per cent, p = 0.03). If the infecting organism was sensitive to both antibiotics, the cure rate which occurred during 12 per cent to 13 per cent of the febrile episodes, regardless of antibiotic regimen. However, it occurred significantly more often during documented infections than during fevers of unknown etiology (20 per cent versus 6 per cent, p less than 0.001). C+CC appears to be the most effective of the three regimens for the treatment of infections in patients with persistent severe neutropenia.

Topics: Bacterial Infections; Carbenicillin; Cefamandole; Cephalosporins; Drug Administration Schedule; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Fever of Unknown Origin; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasms; Tobramycin

The experience with empirical antimicrobial therapy of septicemia and febrile episodes in pediatric neutropenic patients was analyzed retrospectively. Between January 1985 and March 1988 in 49 patients 77 episodes were observed. Bacteremia was found in 15 (20%), culture proven localized bacterial infection in 11 (14%) and clinically diagnosed bacterial infection was found in 7 (9%) of the febrile episodes. Thus, 33 (43%) documented bacterial infections were observed. For initial therapy a combination of aminoglycoside plus 2nd/3rd generation cephalosporin (60%) or aminoglycoside plus piperacillin (30%) was usually chosen. Both regimens were equally effective. 52% and 56%, respectively, were sufficiently treated with the initial regimen. 95% of all episodes resolved completely, the mortality rate was 5%. Central venous catheters remained in situ in 84% of the cases. The period of time necessary for recovery of granulopoiesis had an influence on the therapy success.

Topics: Adolescent; Agranulocytosis; Antineoplastic Agents; Cefamandole; Cefotaxime; Child; Child, Preschool; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Fever of Unknown Origin; Gentamicins; Humans; Infant; Infusion Pumps; Leukocyte Count; Male; Neoplasms; Neutropenia; Piperacillin; Sepsis