Abstract

Febrile neutropenia is a common complication in patients receiving cancer treatment. According to the results of several investigations bacterial infections are the most common causes of morbidity and mortality, in these patients, so, empiric broad-spectrum antibiotics should be initiated promptly. Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of suspected microorganisms and epidemiologic characteristics of patient population shoud be considered in the initiation of empiric antimicrobial treatment. In this study we evaluated retrospectively cultures obtained from hospitalized adult cancer patients during febrile neutropenic attacks over a one year period (January 2005-January 2006). In microbiologic identification and susceptibility testing we used standard culture methods and BBL semi automatic system. Infection was documented microbiologically in 17.98% of obtained samples. Blood cultures were positive in 21.21% and cultures obtained from other body sites were positive in 16.93% of samples. The rate of positive cultures in sputum and skin lesions were higher than other sites (46.77% and 43.75% respectively). In blood cultures, gram-negative agents were isolated in 61.90% and gram-positives in 38.10% of cultures. In cultures obtained from other sites of the body gram-negatives, gram-positives and fungal agents were isolated in 53.85%, 15.38% and 30.77% of cultures respectively. As a result, in diagnosis and treatment of neutropenic patients a detailed medical history, physical examination, cultures from blood and other clinically suspicious body sites and initiation of empirical antimicrobial treatment according to the hospital infectious surveyance reports are life saving issues.