ANTIBIOTIC STRATEGY IN OROFACIAL HEAD AND NECK INFECTIONS IN SEVERE NEUTROPENIA

A strategy for empiric antibiotic therapy for orofacial/head and neck bacterial infections that appear as clinical swellings in patients wit h severe neutropenia is assessed. Daily examinations were made in the hospital. Only those with peripheral blood neutrophil counts < 100/MM3 that persisted for at least 5 days after the commencement of resoluti on of the swelling were included in this article. The strategy consist ed of sequential additions of a beta-lactam/aminoglycoside combination , metronidazole to intensify anaerobe cover and a beta-lactamase stabl e agent (such as vancomycin and floxacillin) as dictated by clinical s igns. Progressive and complete resolution of infection occurred in 26 of 27 patients treated.