INFECTIONS IN FEBRILE GRANULOCYTOPENIC PATIENTS - CLINICAL-FEATURES AND PATHOGENS

From 1990 to 1994, we prospectively evaluated patients with cancer or aplastic anemia who had granulocyte counts of less than 500/mm(3) and fever, in order to study infections in febrile granulocytopenic patien ts in Taiwan. A total of 100 episodes in 95 patients were evaluated. A erobic Gram-negative bacilli were responsible for 72.5% of the 80 orga nisms identified in the infections. Escherichia coli was the most comm on isolate, accounting for 46.5% of Gram-negative bacilli. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella spp caused 24.1% and 18.9% of these infecti ons, respectively. Aerobic Gram-positive cocci were responsible for 12 .5% of the 80 organisms identified in the infections. Fungal infection s were responsible for 8.8% of isolates. Septicemia, predominantly due to Gram-negative bacilli, accounted for 39 episodes. Infection sites included the respiratory tract, urinary tract, skin and soft tissue, o ral cavity, intestines anus and ear canal. identification of the patho gens and their clinical features is important in the immediate treatme nt of such infections.