[Meropenem therapy in children with febrile neutropenia]

Infectious complications are the major causes of morbidity and mortality in children receiving chemotherapy for malignant diseases. Granulocytopenia carries the risk of bacterial infection, and also, if prolonged, of fungal infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of meropenem in immunocompromised children in association with isolated bacteria from blood cultures and clinical background.

Retrospective study of all febrile episodes when meropenem was used in neutropenic children between January 1998 and December 2002 in the haemato-oncological units of the authors hospital. During the study period meropenem was used in 87 febrile events diagnosed in 55 patients (mean age 10 years 5 months), and 328 bacterial cultures were performed. Blood samples were taken from each patient with granulocytopenia (< 0.5 G/l) and fever (> or = 38 degrees C), prior to the start of any antibiotic therapy. For the microbiological process Bactec 9050 (Becton Dickinson) blood culture systems were used.

Microorganisms were detected and identified in 64 (19.5%) from the 328 hemocultures. There was a predominance of Gram-positive strains, 67% (43/64)--the most common bacteria being coagulase negative Staphylococcus (cnS). From the 87 periods in 43 cases (49.4%) the infection was documented microbiologically. In 16 additional cases the infection was proven clinically (based on the clinical course, laboratory and radiologic results) and 32.2% (28/87) of the febrile neutropenic episodes were considered to be fever of unknown origin. Meropenem was used in a mean dose of 60.8 (30-120) mg/kg/die, for 9.3 (2-24) days. The success rate of the meropenem therapy -excluding the proven fungal (n = 13) or cnS (n = 15) infections-was 72.9%. No severe side effects occurred in any regimens.

The results demonstrate that meropenem is effective and well-tolerated when used for the treatment of feverish neutropenic cancer children.