Infections in acute myeloid leukemia. Study of 184 febrile episodes

Abstract

We analysed the case records of 75 patients with acute myeloid leukaemia treated at our institute from January 1984 to December 1988 to see the pattern and severity of infections and their relationship with granulocytopenia. A total of 184 febrile episodes (mean 2.45) were recorded; 153 (83.15%) were associated with granulocytopenia while 31 (16.84%) were without granulocytopenia. Among granulocytopenic patients, infections could be documented microbiologically in 58.2% and clinically in 30.0% of episodes. In the remaining 41.8% of episodes, no clinical, radiological or microbiological evidence could be found out. The various sites of infection were: septicaemia 21 (13.72%), disseminated fungal infections 4 (2.6%), upper respiratory tract 21 (13.7%), chest 58 (37.9%), gastrointestinal tract 8 (5.2%), genitourinary (7.2%), soft tissues 5 (3.2%) and skin cellulitis 7 (4.6%). Microbiologically, gram negative organisms (Klebsiella pneumoniae, E coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) were most common, followed by gram positive (Streptococcal faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Staph albus, Staph epidermidis). Four patients had disseminated fungal infection: candida 2, aspergillus *1, mucormycosis *1. Among non neutropenic febrile episodes, the sites infected were: septicemia 2 (6.4%), chest 9(29.0%), upper respiratory tract 1 (3.2%), gastrointestinal 1 (3.2%), soft tissue 1 (3.2%), drug fever 3 (9.6%) and fever of unknown origin 14 (45.2%).