Prophylaxis of bacterial infections after bone marrow transplantation. A randomized prospective study comparing oral broad-spectrum nonabsorbable antibiotics (vancomycin-tobramycin-colistin) to absorbable antibiotics (ofloxacin-amoxicillin)

Abstract

Bacterial infection is a common complication after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. It is related to the toxic effects of the conditioning regimen on mucosal surfaces, to bone marrow aplasia and to the prolonged lymphopenia with immune deficiency that lasts for several weeks after bone marrow transplantation. We have performed a prospective randomized study comparing two methods of prophylaxis. Group I (OA) received a combination of ofloxacin 400 mg/day and amoxicillin 20 g/day; group II (VTC) received the oral nonabsorbable antibiotics vancomycin 450 mg/day, tobramycin 450 mg/day and colistin 4.5.10(6) units daily, from day -15 to 15 days after discharge from laminar air flow (LAF) rooms. All patients were nursed in LAF rooms with a strict isolation procedure and sterile water and food. They were evaluated daily for clinical symptoms, and bacterial culture samples were taken from the throat, stools and blood twice weekly. Forty-four patients were randomized, 22 entered in group I (OA) and 22 in group II (VTC). There were no differences between the two groups in age (mean 33 years, range 11-54), sex, diagnosis and mean duration of agranulocytosis (21.8 days, range 10-49). Seven patients were excluded because of the selection of a resistant bacteria, 5 were in group I (OA), and 2 were in group II (VTC). The mean duration of fever was 9.2 +/- 7.1 days in group I (OA) and 13.7 +/- 6.8 days in group II (VTC; p = 0.05). There were no significant differences between the two groups in graft-versus-host disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)