Clinical Edge

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Cochrane on Antibiotic Treatment for Cancer Patients

Cochrane; 2017 Jun 3; Beyar-Katz, et al

Publish date:

Routinely adding glycopeptides does not improve outcomes in febrile neutropenic patients with cancer, according to a recently updated Cochrane review of 14 trials involving nearly 2,800 individuals. Among the findings:

  • Mortality did not differ between patients who received anti gram-positive antibiotics and those who did not receive such.
  • Antibiotic treatment was more frequently modified among patients who did not initially receive specific antibiotics against gram-positive bacteria.
  • Overall treatment failures were not different.
  • The addition of specific antibiotics against gram-positive bacteria resulted in more adverse events, mainly rash.

Citation:

Beyar-Katz O, Dickstein Y, Borok S, Vidal L, Leibovici L, Paul M. Empirical antibiotics targeting gram-positive bacteria for the treatment of febrile neutropenic patients with cancer. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2017, Issue 6. Art. No.: CD003914. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003914.pub4.

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