Indications for systemic antibiotic prophylaxis in neutropenic patients.

Four patients with malignant blood disease and neutropenia developed apparently localized infective lesions of the skin or conjunctiva from which Pseudomonas aeruginosa was cultured. In spite of appropriate local antimicrobial treatment all patients developed pseudomonas septicaemia within a short period and three died. It is argued that the isolation of pseudomonads from apparently localized lesions in patients with compromised antibacterial defences is an indication for systemic antibiotic therapy.