[Infection in severe neutropenia: analysis of 140 episodes].

We analyzed infections complicating 140 episodes of severe neutropenia in 86 patients. The underlying diagnosis was acute leukemia in 64, lymphoma in 12 and isolated cases of bone marrow aplasia, agranulocytosis, dysmyelopoiesis and solid tumors. No fever developed in 35 (25%) episodes. No cause for the fever was identified in 40% of the remaining episodes. Clinical evidence of an infection was present in 20%, with positive bacteriologic findings in 27%. Respiratory infection (16%), pneumonia (11%) and sepsis (10%) were the most common infectious processes. Infectious agents isolated were gram negative bacilli (72%), gram positive cocci (19%) and fungi (9%). The association of amikacin and carbenicillin or cephalosporins proved to be superior to gentamycin-penicillin (p less than 0.01). 16 patients died for an overall mortality of 11%. Pneumonia and infection by K pneumoniae or C albicans were associated to a poorer prognosis.