Treatment of fever in neutropenia in pediatric oncology patients

Efficacy and safety of withholding antimicrobial therapy in children with cancer, fever, and neutropenia, with a demonstrated viral respiratory infection: a randomized clinical trial

OBJECTIVES

To validate the efficacy and safety of withholding antimicrobial therapy in a new cohort of children with cancer and febrile neutropenia (FN) having a demonstrated viral respiratory tract infection.

METHODS

Prospective, multicenter, noninferiority, randomized study, approved by the ethical committee, in children presenting with FN at seven hospitals in Chile, evaluated at admission for diagnosis of bacterial and viral pathogens. Children who were positive for a respiratory virus, negative for a bacterial pathogen, and had a favourable evolution after 48-72 hours of antimicrobial therapy were randomized to either maintain or withhold antimicrobial therapy. The primary endpoint was the percentage of episodes with an uneventful resolution, whereas the secondary endpoints were days of fever, days of hospitalization, requirement of antimicrobial treatment readministration, sepsis, paediatric intensive care unit admission, and death.

RESULTS

A total of 301 of 939 children with FN episodes recruited between March 2021 and December 2023 had a respiratory virus as a unique identified microorganism, of which 139 had a favourable evolution at 48-72 hours and were randomized, 70 to maintain and 69 to withdraw antimicrobial therapy. The median days of antimicrobial therapy was 5 (IQR 3-6) versus 3 (IQR 3-6) days (p < 0.001), with similar frequency of uneventful resolution 66/70 (94%) and 66/69 (96%); relative risk, 1.01; (95% CI, 0.93 to 1.09), absolute risk difference 0.01; (95% CI, -0.05 to 0.08) and similar number of days of fever and days of hospitalization. No cases of sepsis, paediatric intensive care unit admission, or death were reported.

DISCUSSION

We validated the strategy of withdrawal antimicrobial therapy in children with FN and viral respiratory tract infection based on clinical and microbiological/molecular diagnostic criteria. This will enable advances in antimicrobial stewardship strategies with a possible future impact on antimicrobial resistance.

Kinetics and Role of Pancreatic Stone Protein and Midregional Proadrenomedullin as Predictors of Sepsis and Bacteremia in Children with Hematological Malignancies

Background

To investigate the kinetics and prognostic value of pancreatic stone protein (PSP) and mid-regional proadrenomedullin (MR-proADM) during episodes of febrile neutropenia (FN) in children with hematological malignancies.

Material and methods

We evaluated prospectively a total of 70 FN episodes in 70 children with acute leukemias and lymphomas. CRP, PSP, and MR-proADM levels were measured at the onset of the febrile episode (day 1), day 3, and day 7. The outcome and survival of children were evaluated during the study period until day 28. The performance of each marker in identifying sepsis or severe sepsis was assessed as an area under a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. ROC curves were used for each biomarker to derive cut-offs for sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing sepsis from non-sepsis.

Results

During the 2-year study period, 70 febrile neutropenia episodes in 70 children with hematological malignancies were enrolled. Of 70 episodes of febrile neutropenia, in 17 (24%), a bacterial/fungal infection was documented. Criteria for sepsis were fulfilled for 31 (44%) and 7 (10%) patients were admitted to PICU. The median values of all biomarkers on day 1 differed significantly between patients with and without sepsis. PSP, MR-proADM, and CRP specificity were 0.82, 0.70, and 0.57, respectively. The sensitivity of PSP, MR-proADM, and CRP were 0.84, 0.74, and 0.88, respectively.

Conclusions

PSP and MR-proADM are promising biomarkers for early diagnosis of sepsis during FN episodes in children with hematological malignancies. However, PSP has a higher sensitivity and specificity.

Hematologic and Oncologic Emergencies in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: What Nurses Should Know

Most children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit with a new or reoccurring hematology or oncology diagnosis are at high risk for developing a hematologic or oncologic emergency. Although these children represent a low percentage of pediatric critical care admissions, their acuity is high, and their care is complicated and challenging. Nurses are an essential part of the interprofessional team of providers who care for these critically ill patients. Experience recognizing acute decompensation and excellent assessment and communication skills significantly improve patient outcomes.

Consensus survey on the management of children with chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia and at low risk of severe infection

Our aim was to identify national consensus criteria for the management of children with chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia (FN), for evidence-based step-down treatment approaches for patients classified at low risk of severe infection. In 2018, a five-section, 38-item survey was e-mailed to all pediatric hematology and oncology units in France (n = 30). The five sections contained statements on possible consensus criteria for the (i) definition of FN, (ii) initial management of children with FN, (iii) conditions required for initiating step-down therapy in low-risk patients, (iv) management strategy for low-risk patients, and (v) antibiotic treatment on discharge. Consensus was defined by respondents' combined answers (somewhat agree and strongly agree) at 75% or more. Sixty-five physicians (participation rate: 58%), all specialists in pediatric onco-hematology, from 18 centers completed the questionnaire. A consensus was reached on 22 of the 38 statements, including the definition of FN, the criteria for step-down therapy in low-risk children, and the initial care of these patients. There was no consensus on the type and duration of antibiotic therapy on discharge. In conclusion, a consensus has been reached on the criteria for initiating evidence-based step-down treatment of children with FN and a low risk of severe infection but not for the step-down antimicrobial regimen.

Antimicrobial use in pediatric oncology and hematology in Germany and Austria, 2020/2021: a cross-sectional, multi-center point-prevalence study with a multi-step qualitative adjudication process

Background

Due to the high risk of severe infection among pediatric hematology and oncology patients, antimicrobial use is particularly high. With our study, we quantitatively and qualitatively evaluated, based on institutional standards and national guidelines, antimicrobial usage by employing a point-prevalence survey with a multi-step, expert panel approach. We analyzed reasons for inappropriate antimicrobial usage.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted at 30 pediatric hematology and oncology centers in 2020 and 2021. Centers affiliated to the German Society for Pediatric Oncology and Hematology were invited to join, and an existing institutional standard was a prerequisite to participate. We included hematologic/oncologic inpatients under 19 years old, who had a systemic antimicrobial treatment on the day of the point prevalence survey. In addition to a one-day, point-prevalence survey, external experts individually assessed the appropriateness of each therapy. This step was followed by an expert panel adjudication based upon the participating centers' institutional standards, as well as upon national guidelines. We analyzed antimicrobial prevalence rate, along with the rate of appropriate, inappropriate, and indeterminate antimicrobial therapies with regard to institutional and national guidelines. We compared the results of academic and non-academic centers, and performed a multinomial logistic regression using center- and patient-related data to identify variables that predict inappropriate therapy.

Findings

At the time of the study, a total of 342 patients were hospitalized at 30 hospitals, of whom 320 were included for the calculation of the antimicrobial prevalence rate. The overall antimicrobial prevalence rate was 44.4% (142/320; range 11.1-78.6%) with a median antimicrobial prevalence rate per center of 44.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 35.9-49.9). Antimicrobial prevalence rate was significantly higher (p < 0.001) at academic centers (median 50.0%; 95% CI 41.2-55.2) compared to non-academic centers (median 20.0%; 95% CI 11.0-32.4). After expert panel adjudication, 33.8% (48/142) of all therapies were labelled inappropriate based upon institutional standards, with a higher rate (47.9% [68/142]) when national guidelines were taken into consideration. The most frequent reasons for inappropriate therapy were incorrect dosage (26.2% [37/141]) and (de-)escalation/spectrum-related errors (20.6% [29/141]). Multinomial, logistic regression yielded the number of antimicrobial drugs (odds ratio, OR, 3.13, 95% CI 1.76-5.54, p < 0.001), the diagnosis febrile neutropenia (OR 0.18, 95% CI 0.06-0.51, p = 0.0015), and an existing pediatric antimicrobial stewardship program (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.15-0.84, p = 0.019) as predictors of inappropriate therapy. Our analysis revealed no evidence of a difference between academic and non-academic centers regarding appropriate usage.

Interpretation

Our study revealed there to be high levels of antimicrobial usage at German and Austrian pediatric oncology and hematology centers with a significant higher number at academic centers. Incorrect dosing was shown to be the most frequent reason for inappropriate usage. Diagnosis of febrile neutropenia and antimicrobial stewardship programs were associated with a lower likelihood of inappropriate therapy. These findings suggest the importance of febrile neutropenia guidelines and guidelines compliance, as well as the need for regular antibiotic stewardship counselling at pediatric oncology and hematology centers.

Funding

European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Pädiatrische Infektiologie, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Krankenhaushygiene, Stiftung Kreissparkasse Saarbrücken.

Deep-learning-based personalized prediction of absolute neutrophil count recovery and comparison with clinicians for validation

Neutropenia and its complications are major adverse effects of cytotoxic chemotherapy. The time to recovery from neutropenia varies from patient to patient, and cannot be easily predicted even by experts. Therefore, we trained a deep learning model using data from 525 pediatric patients with solid tumors to predict the day when patients recover from severe neutropenia after high-dose chemotherapy. We validated the model with data from 99 patients and compared its performance to those of clinicians. The accuracy of the model at predicting the recovery day, with a 1-day error, was 76%; its performance was better than those of the specialist group (58.59%) and the resident group (32.33%). In addition, 80% of clinicians changed their initial predictions at least once after the model's prediction was conveyed to them. In total, 86 prediction changes (90.53%) improved the recovery day estimate.

Lung microbiome in children with hematological malignancies and lower respiratory tract infections

Background

Respiratory infectious complications remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children with hematological malignancies. Knowledge regarding the lung microbiome in aforementioned children is limited.

Methods

A prospective cohort was conducted, enrolling 16 children with hematological malignancies complicated with moderate-to-severe lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) versus 21 LRTI children with age, gender, weight, and infection severity matched, with no underlying malignancies, to evaluate the lung microbiome from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples in different groups.

Results

The lung microbiome from children with hematological malignancies and LRTIs showed obviously decreased α and β diversity; increased microbial function in infectious disease:bacteria/parasite; drug resistance:antimicrobial and human pathogenesis than the control group; a significantly reduced proportion of Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, Actinobacteriota; increased Proteobacteria at the phylum level; and distinctly elevated Parabacteroides, Klebsiella, Grimontia, Escherichia_Shigella, unclassified_Enterobacteriaceae at the genus level than the control group. Furthermore, it was revealed that α diversity (Shannon), β diversity (Bray-Curtis dissimilarity), Proteobacteria at the phylum level, and unclassified_Enterobacteriaceae and Escherichia_Shigella at the genus level were significantly negatively associated with hospitalization course whereas Firmicutes at the phylum level was established positively correlated with the hospitalization course.

Conclusions

Children with hematological malignancies and LRTIs showed obviously decreased α and β diversity, significantly increased function in infectious disease pathogenesis, antimicrobial drug resistance, and unfavorable environment tolerance. Moreover, α diversity (Shannon), β diversity (Bray-Curtis dissimilarity), and Proteobacteria may be used as negative correlated predictors for hospitalization course in these children whereas Firmicutes may be utilized as a positive correlated predictor.

Diagnosis and Management of Febrile Neutropenia in Pediatric Oncology Patients—A Systematic Review

Infectious diseases are associated with a high morbidity and mortality rate among pediatric cancer patients undergoing treatment or receiving a transplant. Neutropenia represents a potentially fatal complication of cancer treatment and is associated with a high risk of developing bacterial infections. Although febrile neutropenia (FN) can affect both adults and children, the latter has a higher chance of infections with an unknown origin. Prompt empiric broad-spectrum antibiotic administration is collectively considered the best therapeutic approach. This review aims to analyze the latest works from the literature regarding the therapeutic strategies, schemes, and approaches and the efficacy of these in pediatric febrile neutropenia. Following PRISMA guidelines, an advanced search on PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library, using the keywords “febrile neutropenia”, “pediatric”, “cancer”, and “oncology”, was performed. A total of 197 articles were found to be eligible. After screening the abstracts and excluding unfit studies, 16 articles were analyzed. There were eight retrospective studies, five prospective studies, and two clinical trials. Altogether, these studies have described around 5000 episodes of FN. The median age of the participants was 7.6 years, and the underlying condition for most of them was acute leukemia. The infectious agent could only be determined in around one-fifth of cases, from which 90% were of bacterial origin. As such, empirical broad-spectrum antibiotics are used, with the most used treatment scheme comprising third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins and antipseudomonal penicillins. In order to improve the treatment strategies of FN episodes and to successfully de-escalate treatments toward narrower-spectrum antibiotics, hospitals and clinics should increase their efforts in identifying the underlying cause of FN episodes through blood culture urine culture and viral tests, wherever infrastructure enables it.

Infections during Non-Neutropenic Episodes in Pediatric Cancer Patients—Results from a Prospective Study in Two Major Large European Cancer Centers

Whereas the clinical approach in pediatric cancer patients with febrile neutropenia is well established, data on non-neutropenic infectious episodes are limited. We therefore prospectively collected over a period of 4 years of data on all infectious complications in children treated for acute lymphoblastic or myeloid leukemia (ALL or AML) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) at two major pediatric cancer centers. Infections were categorized as fever of unknown origin (FUO), and microbiologically or clinically documented infections. A total of 210 patients (median age 6 years; 142 ALL, 23 AML, 38 NHL, 7 leukemia relapse) experienced a total of 776 infectious episodes (571 during neutropenia, 205 without neutropenia). The distribution of FUO, microbiologically and clinically documented infections, did not significantly differ between neutropenic and non-neutropenic episodes. In contrast to neutropenic patients, corticosteroids did not have an impact on the infectious risk in non-neutropenic children. All but one bloodstream infection in non-neutropenic patients were due to Gram-positive pathogens. Three patients died in the context of non-neutropenic infectious episodes (mortality 1.4%). Our results well help to inform clinical practice guidelines in pediatric non-neutropenic cancer patients presenting with fever, in their attempt to safely restrict broad-spectrum antibiotics and improve the quality of life by decreasing hospitalization.

Antimicrobial Use in Pediatric Oncology and Hematology: Protocol for a Multicenter Point-Prevalence Study With Qualitative Expert Panel Assessment

Background

Because infections are a major driver of morbidity and mortality in children with hematologic or oncologic diseases, antimicrobials are frequently prescribed in pediatric oncology practice. However, excess or inappropriate use of antimicrobials is directly linked to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. Although point-prevalence studies have examined the extent of antimicrobial use, a comprehensive qualitative evaluation of individual antimicrobial prescriptions remains lacking.

Objective

The aim of this study is to identify appropriate versus inappropriate antimicrobial use among pediatric cancer patients in a point-prevalence study, followed by an expert panel adjudication process and a subsequent report of these findings to participating centers. This study also aims to improve the quality of patient care by informing centers about discrepancies between internal standards of care and national guidelines.

Methods

Our point-prevalence study is performed at pediatric cancer centers in Germany and Austria. All patients under 18 years old who are hospitalized at the time of the study are included. As a supplement to the point-prevalence study, an expert panel is qualitatively assessing each of the antimicrobial prescriptions at the participating centers to review local guidelines and compare them with national guidelines.

Results

As of December 2021, the point-prevalence survey has been conducted at 30 sites and expert panel adjudication for qualitative assessment of each antimicrobial use is ongoing. Results of the study are expected in 2022.

Conclusions

This is the first point-prevalence study conducted among pediatric cancer centers with an integrated, multistep, qualitative approach that assesses each antimicrobial prescription. The results of this study will inform possible interventions for internal guidelines and antimicrobial stewardship programs implemented at pediatric cancer centers. In addition, local guidelines will be compared with national guidelines. Furthermore, this study will contribute to the overall integration of antimicrobial stewardship principles and initiatives in pediatric oncology and hematology, thereby improving safety and quality of care for children and adolescents with cancer and blood disorders.

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/35774

Predictive Factors for Gram-negative Versus Gram-positive Bloodstream Infections in Children With Cancer

BACKGROUND

Identifying potential predictive factors for the type of bacteremia (Gram-negative vs. Gram-positive) in children with cancer would be crucial for the timely selection of the appropriate empiric antibiotic treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of children with cancer and a bacterial bloodstream infection (BSI) (February 1, 2011 to February 28, 2018) in a tertiary pediatric oncology department were retrospectively examined and were correlated with the type of isolated bacteria.

RESULTS

Among 224 monomicrobial bacterial BSI episodes, Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria were isolated in 110 and 114 episodes, respectively. Gram-negative bacteria were isolated significantly more frequently in girls (Gram-negative/Gram-positive ratio 1.7:1) versus boys (Gram-negative/Gram-positive ratio 0.72:1), P=0.002, in patients with previous BSI episodes (1.4:1) versus those without (0.8:1), P=0.042, and in children with hematologic malignancy (1.3:1) versus those who suffered from solid tumors (0.52:1), P=0.003. Gram-negative BSI episodes were more frequently correlated with a lower count of leukocytes, P=0.009, neutrophils, P=0.009 and platelets, P=0.002, but with significantly higher C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, P=0.049. Female sex, hematologic malignancy, and higher CRP levels remained independent risk factors for Gram-negative BSI in the multivariate analysis. Among neutropenic patients, boys with solid tumors and a recent central venous catheter placement appear to be at increased risk for Gram-positive BSI in the multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Although Gram-negative and Gram-positive BSIs are close to balance in children with cancer, Gram-negative bacteria are more likely to be isolated in girls, children with hematologic malignancies and those with higher CRP level at admission. In contrast, neutropenic boys with solid tumors and a recently placed central venous catheter may be at increased risk for Gram-positive BSI indicating probably the need for initially adding antibiotics targeting Gram-positive bacteria.

Supportive methods for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia then and now: A compilation for clinical practice

Survival of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia has significantly improved over the past decades. In the early years of chemotherapeutic development, improvement in survival rates could be attained only by increasing the cytostatic dose, also by modulation of the frequency and combination of chemotherapeutic agents associated with severe short- and long-time side-effects and toxicity in a developing child's organism. Years later, new treatment options have yielded promising results through targeted immune and molecular drugs, especially in relapsed and refractory leukemia, and are continuously added to conventional therapy or even replace first-line treatment. Compared to conventional strategies, these new therapies have different side-effects, requiring special supportive measures. Supportive treatment includes the prevention of serious acute and sometimes life-threatening events as well as managing therapy-related long-term side-effects and preemptive treatment of complications and is thus mandatory for successful oncological therapy. Inadequate supportive therapy is still one of the main causes of treatment failure, mortality, poor quality of life, and unsatisfactory long-term outcome in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. But nowadays it is a challenge to find a way through the flood of supportive recommendations and guidelines that are available in the literature. Furthermore, the development of new therapies for childhood leukemia has changed the range of supportive methods and must be observed in addition to conventional recommendations. This review aims to provide a clear and recent compilation of the most important supportive methods in the field of childhood leukemia, based on conventional regimes as well as the most promising new therapeutic approaches to date.

Continuous infusion of piperacillin-tazobactam significantly improves target attainment in children with cancer and fever

Background

Children with febrile neutropenia commonly exhibit alterations of pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters, leading to decreased β‐lactam concentrations.

Aims

This study evaluated piperacillin PK and probability of target attainment (PTA) with continuous infusion of piperacillin‐tazobactam, in order to optimize the dosing regimen.

Methods

This prospective PK study included children with cancer, aged 1–17 years, who were treated with piperacillin‐tazobactam for suspected or verified infection. A piperacillin‐tazobactam loading dose (100 mg/kg) was administered followed by continuous infusion (300 mg/kg/day). The unbound fraction of piperacillin was quantified by high‐performance liquid chromatography and PK were described using population PK modeling. PK data was used to update and extend a previous PK model built on data following intermittent administration. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to assess PTA for targets of 100% time above the minimum inhibitory concentration (100% fT > MIC) and 50% fT > 4xMIC.

Results

We included 68 fever episodes among 38 children with a median (IQR) age of 6.5 years and body weight of 27.4 kg (15.1–54.0). A three‐compartment model adequately described the concentration‐time data. Median (95% confidence interval) estimates for clearance and piperacillin concentration at steady state were 14.2 L/h/70 kg (13.0; 15.3) and 47.6 mg/L (17.2; 129.5), respectively. Body weight or lean body weight was significantly associated with the PK parameters, and body weight was integrated in the final PK model. Based on piperacillin exposure, continuous infusion was the only dosing regimen to achieve optimal PTA for the P. aeruginosa breakpoint (16 mg/L) with the target of 100% fT > MIC, and a daily dose of 300 mg/kg reached optimal PTA. The strict target of 50% fT > 4xMIC (64 mg/L) was not feasibly attained by any dosing regimen at recommended doses.

Conclusion

Unlike conventional piperacillin intermittent administration and extended infusion regimens, continuous infusion allows the target of 100% fT > MIC to be reached for children with febrile neutropenia.

Cytokine and chemokine profiles in episodes of persistent high-risk febrile neutropenia in children with cancer

BACKGROUND

In children with cancer and persistent high-risk febrile neutropenia (HRFN), cytokines/chemokines profiles can guide the differentiation of febrile neutropenia (FN) due to infections and episodes of unknown origin (FN-UO).

METHODS

A prospective, multicenter study in Santiago, Chile included patients ≤ 18 years with cancer and HRFN. Clinical and microbiological studies were performed according to validated protocols. Serum levels of 38 cytokines/chemokines were determined on day 4 of persistent HRFN. We performed comparisons between i) HRFN episodes with a detected etiological agent (FN-DEA) and FN-UO, and ii) bacterial versus viral infections. ROC curves were used to assess the discriminatory power of the analytes.

RESULTS

110 HRFN episodes were enrolled (median age 8 years, 53% female). Eighty-four patients were FN-DEA: 44 bacterial, 32 viral, and 8 fungal infections. Twenty-six cases were categorized as FN-UO. Both groups presented similar clinical and laboratory characteristics. Nineteen out of 38 analytes had higher concentrations in the FN-DEA versus FN-UO group. G-CSF, IL-6, and Flt-3L showed the highest discriminatory power to detect infection (AUC 0.763, 0.741, 0.701). Serum levels of G-CSF differentiated bacterial infections and IP-10 viral agents. A combination of G-CSF, IL-6, Flt-3L, and IP-10 showed an AUC of 0.839, 75% sensitivity, and 81% specificity.

CONCLUSION

A specific immune response is present on day four of persistent HRFN in children with cancer. We propose a combined measure of serum concentrations of G-CSF, IL-6, IP-10, and Flt-3L, in order to predict the presence of an infectious agent as compared to an episode of FN with unknown origin.

Impact of respiratory viral panel testing on length of stay in pediatric cancer patients admitted with fever and neutropenia

BACKGROUND

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) respiratory viral panel (RVP) testing is often used in evaluation of pediatric cancer patients with febrile neutropenia (FN), but correlation with adverse outcomes has not been well characterized.

PROCEDURE

A retrospective cohort of all children ages 0-21 years with cancer admitted to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta for FN from January 2013 to June 2016 was identified. Patient demographic and clinical variables such as age, RVP results, length of stay (LOS), and deaths were abstracted. Relationship between RVP testing and positivity and LOS, highest temperature (Tmax), hypotension and intensive care unit (ICU) admission were compared using Wilcoxon rank sums, chi-square, or Fisher's exact tests adjusting for age, sex, bacteremia, and diagnosis.

RESULTS

The 404 patients identified had 787 total FN admissions. RVPs were sent in 38% of admissions and were positive in 59%. Patients with RVPs sent were younger (median 5.5 vs 8.0 years, P < .0001) with higher Tmax (39.2° vs 39.1°, P = .016). The most common virus identified was rhinovirus/Enterovirus (61%). There were no significant differences in highest temperature or lowest blood pressure based on RVP positivity. Patients admitted to the ICU were more likely to have RVPs sent (odds ratio [OR] = 3.19, P < .002); however, neither having RVP testing nor RVP positivity were significantly associated with increased LOS or death. Coinfection with bacteremia and a respiratory virus was identified in 9.1% of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

These data raise the question of the utility of sending potentially costly RVP testing as RVP positivity during febrile neutropenia does not impact LOS, degree of hypotension, or ICU admission.

Management of children with fever and neutropenia: results of a survey in 51 pediatric cancer centers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland

Purpose

Investigation of the current practice of diagnostics and treatment in pediatric cancer patients with febrile neutropenia.

Methods

On behalf of the German Society for Pediatric Oncology and Hematology and the German Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases, an Internet-based survey was conducted in 2016 concerning the management of febrile neutropenia in pediatric oncology centers (POC). This survey accompanied the release of the corresponding German guideline to document current practice before its implementation in clinical practice.

Results

In total, 51 POCs participated (response rate 73%; 43 from Germany, and 4 each from Austria and Switzerland). Identified targets for antimicrobial stewardship concerned blood culture diagnostics, documentation of the time to antibiotics, the use of empirical combination therapy, drug monitoring of aminoglycosides, the time to escalation in patients with persisting fever, minimal duration of IV treatment, sequential oral treatment in patients with persisting neutropenia, indication for and choice of empirical antifungal treatment, and the local availability of a pediatric infectious diseases consultation service.

Conclusion

This survey provides useful information for local antibiotic stewardship teams to improve the current practice referring to the corresponding national and international guidelines.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s15010-020-01462-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Safety and efficacy of step-down to oral outpatient treatment versus inpatient antimicrobial treatment in pediatric cancer patients with febrile neutropenia: A noninferiority multicenter randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND

It has been suggested that low-risk febrile neutropenia (FN) episodes can be treated in a step-down manner in the outpatient setting. This recommendation has been limited to implementation in middle-income countries due to concerns about infrastructure and lack of trained personnel. We aimed to determine whether early step-down to oral antimicrobial outpatient treatment is not inferior in safety and efficacy to inpatient intravenous treatment in children with low-risk FN.

PROCEDURE

A noninferiority randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted in three hospitals in Mexico City. Low-risk FN was identified in children younger than 18 years. After 48 to 72 hours of intravenous treatment, children were randomly allocated to receive outpatient oral treatment (experimental arm, cefixime) or to continue inpatient treatment (standard of care, cefepime). Daily monitoring was performed until neutropenia resolution. The presence of any unfavorable clinical outcome was the endpoint of interest. We performed a noninferiority test for comparison of proportions.

RESULTS

We identified 1237 FN episodes; 117 cases were randomized: 60 to the outpatient group and 57 for continued inpatient treatment. Of the FN episodes, 100% in the outpatient group and 93% in the inpatient group had a favorable outcome (P < 0.001). The mean duration of antibiotics was 4.1 days (SD 2.5; 95% CI, 3.4-4.8 days) in the outpatient group and 4.4 days (SD 2.5; 95% CI, 3.7-5.0 days) in the inpatient group (P = 0.70).

CONCLUSIONS

In our population, step-down oral outpatient treatment of low-risk FN was as safe and effective as inpatient intravenous treatment. Clinical Trials Identifier: NCT04000711.

Febrile neutropenia management in pediatric cancer patients at Ethiopian Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital

Objective

This study aimed at assessing the management practice of febrile neutropenia (FN) in pediatric cancer patients at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (TASH), Ethiopia by reviewing patients’ charts from 135 participants retrospectively. Data was entered into Epi-info 7 and exported to SPSS 20 for analysis.

Results

Empiric antibiotics therapy (EAT) was given to all patients in which ceftriaxone with gentamycin constituted of 71.8% followed by ceftriaxone monotherapy. EATs were converted to others in 20 (14.8%) and 2 (1.5%) patients for the first and second times respectively, mainly based on poor clinical response without conducting culture and sensitivity tests. These tests were done only for 13 (9.6%) participants and growth was seen in 5 patients; and definitive therapy was given for 2 patients. ANC value was above 500 cell/mm³ in 80.7% of patients and 98.5% of study participants were afebrile after completion FN treatment. Most of them (70.4%) were treated for FN and 7 of patients died due to all case mortality. The hospital should not rely mainly only on ceftriaxone with gentamycin as EAT and should do culture and sensitivity test to optimize therapy based on susceptibility result before conversion and modification of therapy in management of FN.

Piperacillin pharmacokinetics and target attainment in children with cancer and fever: Can we optimize our dosing strategy?

BACKGROUND

Data on piperacillin-tazobactam pharmacokinetics and optimal dosing in children with cancer and fever are limited. Our objective was to investigate piperacillin pharmacokinetics and the probability of target attainment (PTA) with standard intermittent administration (IA), and to simulate PTA in other dosing regimens.

PROCEDURE

This prospective pharmacokinetic study was conducted from April 2016 to January 2018. Children with cancer receiving empiric piperacillin-tazobactam to treat infections were included. Piperacillin-tazobactam 100 mg/kg was infused over 5 min every 8 hours (IA). An optimized sample schedule provided six blood samples per subject for piperacillin concentration determination. The evaluated targets included: (1) 100% time of free piperacillin concentration above the minimum inhibitory concentration (fT > MIC) and (2) 50% fT > 4× MIC. MIC₅₀ and MIC₉₀ were defined based on an intrainstitutional MIC range.

RESULTS

A total of 482 piperacillin concentrations were obtained from 43 children (aged 1-18 years) during 89 fever episodes. Standard IA resulted in insufficient target attainment, with significant differences in piperacillin pharmacokinetics for different body weights. Median fT > MIC was 61.2%, 53.5%, and 36.3% for MIC₅₀ (2.0 mg/L), MIC₉₀ (4.0 mg/L), and breakpoint for Pseudomonas aeruginosa (16.0 mg/L), respectively. Correspondingly, the median fT > 4× MIC was 43%, 36.3%, and 20.1%. Simulations showed that only continuous infusion reached a PTA of 95% for MIC = 16.0 mg/L, while extended infusion lasting half of the dosing interval reached a PTA of 95% for MIC ≤ 8 mg/L.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data revealed insufficient PTA with standard IA of piperacillin-tazobactam in children with cancer and fever. Alternative dosing strategies, preferably continuous infusion, are required to ensure adequate PTA.