Fever and infection in leukemic patients: a study of 494 consecutive patients

All of the febrile episodes occurring in 494 adults with acute leukemia were reviewed. There were an average of 2.39 febrile episodes per patient and the patients spent 28% of their days in the hospital with fever. Sixty-four percent of the febrile episodes were due to infection. The most common types of infection were disseminated infection and pneumonia, which together accounted for 69% of the total episodes of documented infection. The etiologic agent was identified in 73% of the documented infections and gram-negative bacilli were responsible for the great majority. The most common gram-negative bacilli causing infection were Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. During the course of their leukemia, 31% of the patients had repeated episodes of infection caused by the same organism and 13% ahd repeated FUO's. Fever occurred most often when the patients had neutropenia (less than 500/mm3). The fatality rate from septicemia decreased from 84% in 1966 to 44% in 1972. The fatality rate for major infections caused by gram-positive cocci was 16%, for gram-negative bacilli was 37% and for fungi was 86%. Although infection remains a serious problem in leukemia patients, considerable progress has been made.