[Treatment of febrile neutropenia episodes in children, with a piperacillin-tazobactam and netilmicin combination].

OBJECTIVES

The authors had for aim to assess the effectiveness and toxicity of a piperacillin-tazobactam-netilmicin combination, and the possibility of avoiding using glycopeptide, in children with febrile neutropenic episodes induced by chemotherapy.

METHODS

A retrospective study was made, including children treated for a febrile neutropenic episode (absolute neutrophile count < 0.5 x 10(9)/l) by a piperacillin-tazobactam-netilmicin combination. If fever persisted 48 hours after the beginning of antibiotic therapy, a glycopeptide could be added. The responses to the treatment were defined as follows: 1) total success (no fever or documented infection) at 48 hours and at 72 hours following the beginning of treatment; 2) partial success (apyrexia beyond 72 hours without any therapeutic change); 3) failure (persistent infectious signs 48 hours after the introduction of glycopeptide).

RESULTS

Sixty-nine episodes were assessable, corresponding to 41 patients, treated for a solid tumour (29), an acute leukaemia in remission (11), or a metabolic disease (1). The febrile episodes were divided into fever of unknown origin (71%), microbiologically documented fever (12%), and clinically documented fever (17%). No death occurred, no toxicity was reported. With this antibiotic therapy, total success at 72 hours was observed in 72% in case of fever of unknown origin and 45% in case of documented infections. The success rate reached 84% when a glycopeptide was added (30% of the cases).

CONCLUSION

The piperacillin-tazobactam-netilmicin combination is very effective and well tolerated in probabilistic treatment of febrile neutropenia induced by chemotherapy, but does not allow to decreasing the frequency of glycopeptide administration.