Clinical experience in the diagnosis and treatment of infections in the compromised host

A number of disorders of host resistance to infections occur in cancer patients. Defects in granulocytes, complement synthesis and antibody formation, cellular immunity, and mucocutaneous boundaries are discussed. Most infections in these compromised patients are caused by a few gram-negative rods and gram-positive cocci, although other bacteria, opportunistic fungi, intracellular parasites, and DNA viruses also cause severe disease. Cefotaxime was found to be an effective antimicrobial in the treatment of 40 cancer patients with infections of the urinary or lower respiratory tracts, bacteremia, soft-tissue infections, and fever of undetermined origin. Cefotaxime in combination with ticarcillin or an aminoglycoside may improve response in infections due to opportunistic organisms such as Pseudomonas.