[Microbiological surveillance in patients treated by bone marrow transplantation (author's transl)]

Patients suffering from acute leukemia were treated by bone marrow transplantation under strict gnotobiotic conditions. The microbiological surveillance was performed during three phases: the admission phase, the phase of decontamination and reverse isolation and the reconventionalisation phase. During the second phase no infections of exogenous origine occurred. All clinically manifest infections in this phase were induced by unsuppressed endogenous bacteria. In our study the bacteria of oropharynx was the main source of infections therefore this biotop deserves special attention during the microbiological surveillance of the immune compromised host. In leukemia patients selective decontamination will be the method of choice, but considering the possibility of GvHR in patients with bone marrow transplantation a complete decontamination should be achieved.