Prophylactic Quinolone Prescription Patterns Related to Febrile Neutropenia in Cancer Chemotherapy Outpatients.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to assess prophylactic prescriptions for febrile neutropenia(FN)caused by chemotherapy.

INVESTIGATION: We retrospectively surveyed prophylactic antibiotic prescriptions administered to 930 cancer treatment naive outpatients at Showa University Hospital. Factors associated with prophylactic antibiotic prescriptions were assessed based on patient characteristics, intensity of chemotherapy regimens, laboratory data and diagnoses using logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

The number of patients given prophylactic antibiotic prescriptions was significantly higher in high-risk regimens(n= 349)compared to low-risk regimens(n=288), with an odds ratio of 8.93(6.07-13.14). In logistic regression analysis, significant factors affecting the prophylactic prescription of antibiotics were high-risk regimens(OR: 2.05, p=0.009), age(+ 1 year, OR: 0.98, p=0.002), female sex(OR: 7.10, p<0.001), WBC count(+1.0×10 / 3mL, OR: 1.19, p=0.013)and operation history before and after chemotherapy(OR: 23.19, p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Physicians(including pharmacists)should therefore pay attention to the prophylactic prescriptions especially in high-risk female cancer patients with operation history. This prescription pattern provides basic information needed for the proper use of antibiotics in cancer patients.