SALMONELLA INFECTIONS IN A CANCER CENTER

Data concerning 40 patients hospitalized in a cancer center and Salmon ella infection were analyzed. Hematological malignancy was present in 24 patients (60%) and solid tumor in 14 patients (35%). Among the pred isposing factors, antineoplastic chemotherapy was the most frequent (6 0%) followed by antacid use (47.5%), corticosteroids (37.5%), granuloc ytopenia below 500 neutrophils/mul (15%), surgery (10%) and splenectom y (2.5%). Bacteremia was the most frequent clinical syndrome accountin g for 42.5% of the patients. Focal infection, enteritis and carrier st ate accounted for the remaining 30%, 20% and 7.5% respectively. Salmon ella typhimurium and S. dublin represented 65% of the isolates, with c lear association between serotype dublin and bacteremia. All S. dublin isolates were resistant to chloramphenicol. Among dublin and typhimur ium serotypes, 20% the isolates were resistant to the traditional anti biotics used in salmonellosis (ampicillin, chloramphenicol, cotrimoxaz ole). All strains were susceptible in vitro to cephalosporins. The fre quency of relapse was 15% and the overall mortality (within 30 days) a ttributed to Salmonella infection was 15%.