Abstract
Approximately 85% of patients with acute leukemia undergoing intensive antileukemic treatment develop infections and/or fever during neutropenic phases; in about 50% of these patients clinical, microbiological or clinical and microbiological evidence of infections can be obtained. The response rate is significantly lower in documented infections than in fever of unknown origin (FUO). Evidence-based recommendations for diagnosis and treatment procedures are presented, reflecting study results and expert opinions.
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This paper is not concerned with standard recommendations and guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of fever of unknown origin, fungal infections, infections after hematological stem cell transplantation, sepsis in neutropenia, venous catheter-associated infections, lung infiltrates in neutropenic patients or infection prophylaxis. All these are subject to separate guideline papers of the Infectious Diseases Working Party of the German Society of Hematology and Oncology (DGHO), published in this issue of Annals of Hematology.
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Buchheidt, D., Böhme, A., Cornely, O.A. et al. Diagnosis and treatment of documented infections in neutropenic patients. Ann Hematol 82 (Suppl 2), S127–S132 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00277-003-0766-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00277-003-0766-2