[Febrile neutropenia: past, present and future]

The present review aims to provide an overall view of the changes that have occurred in the last 40 years in the etiological agents isolated in febrile neutropenic patients, as well as in their antibacterial susceptibility patterns and their involvement in empirical treatment regimes. This overall view allows us to observe how the modifications introduced in the treatment of these patients has been accompanied by continual changes in the causative microorganisms, which in turn has required treatment regimens to be redesigned. Because of these constant changes, the significant advances achieved in diagnostic techniques and the recognition of subpopulations of patients with distinct degrees of morbidity and mortality, specialists in the various fields involved in the management of febrile neutropenic patients must constantly update their knowledge.