| Abstract: | 37 episodes of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) in children and adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were analyzed. 25 were associated with an identifiable source of infection: pneumonia (9), cellulitis (11), osteomyelitis (2), ear infection (2), urinary tract infection (1). The absolute neutrophil count was less than 1,000/mm3 at the onset of 29 episodes. 6 patients had a bacterial re-infection after the treatment for SAB was stopped. 5 patients had fungal infection discovered at autopsy. 7 patients died within 4 days of admission. Gram-negative superinfection occurred in 6 patients treated with multiple antibiotics whereas no patient among those treated with a single antibiotic developed superinfection. This was not a statistically different difference. |
