[Early empiric antibiotic therapy of infectious complications in patients with neutropenia]

Aggressive chemotherapy used at present for the treatment of malignant haematological diseases leads to prolonged aplasia of the bone marrow with the possible development of fulminant infectious complications. Treatment of these complications must be started immediately when they are detected, i.e. as a rule without knowing the bacteriological finding at the time. The objective of the present work was to assess by analysis of 376 positive bacteriological findings from hospitalized patients with neutropenia and 141 findings of immunocompromised patients in their homes a combination of antibiotics for empirical treatment of infectious complications which developed during hospitalization or treatment at home.