Bacteraemia in patients with leukaemia and allied neoplastic diseases

94 episodes of bacteraemia were demonstrated in 79 patients with leukaemia and allied disorders over a 3-year period. The relative proportions of different microorganisms differed from that of an unselected Danish material in the high proportion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteraemias, and from studies from other centers for cancer treatment in the high proportion of cases where gram-positive cocci were isolated. 70% of the Staphylococcus aureus strains were fully sensitive to antibiotics or resistant only to penicillin G. A liberal use of penicillins and aminoglycoside antibiotics was employed in the department. No outbreaks attributable to cross infection with a single variety of Staph. aureus or Ps. aeruginosa strains were found during the study.