PMID: 18204765Jan 22, 2008Paper

Piperacillin-tazobactam plus amikacin as an initial empirical therapy of febrile neutropenia in paediatric cancer patients

Singapore Medical Journal
A HamidahR Jamal

Abstract

We evaluated piperacillin-tazobactam in association with amikacin in the initial empirical therapy of febrile neutropenic children. An open-labelled, non-randomised, prospective trial to assess the efficacy and safety of this association was conducted from June 1, 2001 to December 31, 2002. Children and adolescents were treated for a haematological malignancy or a primary, refractory or relapsed solid tumour, and presented with febrile neutropenia. Patients received intravenous piperacillin-tazobactam (90 mg/kg/dose every eight hours) plus a single daily dose of amikacin at 15 mg/kg/day, maximum 250 mg. If fever persisted, second-line therapy with carbapenem was administered. Teicoplanin was added for gram-positive isolates or for unremitting fever after 48 hours, if clinically indicated. Amphotericin B was added at 96 hours, if fever and neutropenia persisted. 155 episodes of fever and neutropenia in 76 patients were evaluable. 40 (25.8 percent) episodes were a microbiologically-documented infection, 30 (19.4 percent) were clinically-documented, and 85 (54.8 percent) were unexplained fever. 77 (49.7 percent) episodes responded to piperacillin-tazobactam plus amikacin without a need for treatment modification. A higher success ...Continue Reading

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Carbapenems

Carbapenems are members of the beta lactam class of antibiotics and are used for the treatment of severe or high-risk bacterial infections. Discover the latest research on carbapenems here.

Carbapenems (ASM)

Carbapenems are members of the beta lactam class of antibiotics and are used for the treatment of severe or high-risk bacterial infections. Discover the latest research on carbapenems here.