Infectious episodes in severely granulocytopenic patients

In a prospective study, 40 episodes of granulocytopenia (granulocytes less than 500/mm3) in 34 patients were analyzed. During 52.5% of these episodes there was proven infection; these infections were present for only 24.4% of the 1,435 granulocytopenic days. The risk of infection and mortality were closely linked with extreme granulocytopenia (granulocytes less than 100/mm3). Of the episodes with severe granulocytopenia (granulocytes 100-500/mm3) only a small number were associated with infections, and mortality was virtually absent in this category. These results implicated a restricted use of supportive measures (e.g. granulocyte transfusions) especially when granulcotye counts are higher than 100 mm3.