Management of fever in neutropenic patients

Abstract

Substantial progress has been made in the management of febrile episodes in neutropenic patients, largely by the prompt administration of potent, broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents. During the past several decades, the spectrum of organisms has changed from a predominance of gram-negative pathogens to a predominance of gram-positive pathogens. In recent years, some hospitals have experienced an increase of infections caused by multi-drug-resistant pathogens. Hence, it is no longer possible to rely on standardized regimens, but antimicrobial therapy must be selected based on the predominant pathogens and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns at each institution. It is customary to initiate antifungal therapy empirically in those patients whose fever persists despite broad-spectrum antibacterial therapy. Alternatives now exist to amphotericin B, including lipid formulations of this drug, and fluconazole. It is critically important that each patient be carefully re-assessed before starting antifungal therapy, because there are many other potential causes for persistent fever, including resistant bacteria and viruses. Novel approaches to therapy include outpatient antibiotics, and use of growth factors as adjunctive therapy. There also has been a renewed interest in white blood cell transfusions. Although the prognosis for infection in neutropenic patients has improved greatly, new infectious problems have emerged that limit our successful management of these complications.