A retrospective study of infections in neutropenic patients.

This is a retrospective non-randomised study of 37 episodes of infections in neutropenic patients (grades III and IV myelosuppression). The commonest presentation of infection in these patients was fever which was followed by diarrhoea. Infection was documented bacteriologically in 22.6% of episodes and blood culture was positive in 5.5% of episodes only. More than half episodes (56.8%) received quinolone and aminoglycoside combination, 24.3% 3rd generation cephalosporin and aminoglycoside combination and 18.9% combination of quinolone and cephalosporin in cross over. These combinations of antibiotics were successful in 90.5% with quinolone arm, 44.4% with cephalosporin arm and 71.4% in cross over arm. This difference in success was statistically significant and is independent of grade of neutropenia.