[Effectiveness of piperacillin/tazobactam in the treatment of fever of unknown etiology in patients with granulocytopenia].

Piperacillin/tazobactam (P/T) was used in the treatment of 14 patients at the age of 5 to 15 years: 5 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, 3 with acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia, 4 with severe aplastic anemia, 1 with lymphoma and 1 with neuroblastoma. P/T was administered as intravenous infusions in a daily dose of 200-300/25-37.5 mg/kg body weight divided into 3 or 4 portions. All the patients were subjected to intestine selective antimicrobial decontamination. In 7 patients the afebrile condition was recorded before elimination of agranulocytosis without correction of the therapy i.e. without combination of P/T with some other antibiotics such as amphotericin B, vancomycin or aminoglycosides. In 5 patients the effect was stated after correction of the regimen by its supplementing with amphotericin B. 2 patients died. No side effects of P/T was observed. The afebrile condition was provided in 1 to 7 days. P/T is recommended for the treatment of fever of obscure etiology in patients with agranulocytosis and for effective control of infection in such patients.