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Clinical and Economic Considerations of Empirical Antibacterial Therapy of Febrile Neutropenia in Cancer

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Abstract

Febrile neutropenia is a condition that can develop in patients with cancer following the administration of myelosuppressive chemotherapy or radiation therapy. The current standard of patient management involves the empirical use of a combination of antibacterials or a single broad spectrum agent to offer extensive antibacterial coverage of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms.

Over the past 25 years, febrile neutropenia has changed from a condition that was fatal in over 50% of patients to a conditionwith an infection-relatedmortality rate of less than 10%. A major reason behind these extraordinary advances in patient care has been the many well-designed randomised trials of empirical antibacterial therapy that have been conducted over this period of time. In contrast to this finding, a review of the literature revealed limited economic data on the empirical treatment of febrile neutropenia in patientswith cancer. Therefore, there is a definite need to conduct more pharmacoeconomic research in this area and to develop methods of implementing the findings of such studies.

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  1. Department of Pharmaceutical Services, Ontario Cancer Institute/Princess Margaret Hospital, 610 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2M9, Canada

    George Dranitsaris

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  1. George Dranitsaris
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Dranitsaris, G. Clinical and Economic Considerations of Empirical Antibacterial Therapy of Febrile Neutropenia in Cancer. Pharmacoeconomics 16, 343–353 (1999). https://doi.org/10.2165/00019053-199916040-00003

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