OUTPATIENT ANTIBIOTIC-THERAPY FOR FEBRILE EPISODES IN LOW-RISK NEUTROPENIC PATIENTS WITH CANCER

Until recently, febrile neutropenic patients were treated with intrave nous antibiotics in inpatient settings. Because of work completed in t he last several years by various investigators, identification of a lo w-risk group of febrile, neutropenic patients has allowed successful t reatment with both parenteral and oral antibiotics in an ambulatory en vironment. This accomplishment has been facilitated by advances in bro ad-spectrum antibiotics with long half-lives and stabilities, the intr oduction of the quinolones providing oral antipseudomonal activity, ho me health care, improvements in vascular access devices, and technical ly enhanced antibiotic delivery systems. This review focuses on the ra tionale of risk stratification and the progress made in treating low-r isk febrile neutropenic patients as outpatients.