Search

Invasive fungal disease (IFD) causes increasing morbidity and mortality in haematological cancer patients. Reliable cost data for treating IFD in German hospitals is not available. Objective of the study was to determine the institutional cost of treating the IFD. Data were obtained by retrospective chart review in German hospitals. Patients had either newly diagnosed or relapsed acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Direct medical cost was calculated from hospital provider's perspective. A total of 108 patients were enrolled at 5 tertiary care hospitals, 36 IFD patients and 72 controls. The vast majority of IFD patients (74%) were diagnosed with invasive aspergillosis. On average, the hospital stay for IFD patients was 12 days longer than in control patients. All patients in the IFD group and 89% of patients in the control group received antifungal drugs. Mean direct costs per patient were €51 517 in the IFD group and €30 454 in the control group. Incremental costs of €21 063 were dominated by cost for antifungal drugs (36%), hospital stay (32%) and blood products (23%). From the perspective of hospitals in Germany the economic burden of IFD in patients with AML or MDS is substantial. Therefore, prevention of IFD is necessary with respect to both clinical and economic reasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Infections remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing autologous or allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). About 80% of patients experience fever during aplasia and early engraftment despite oral antibacterial chemoprophylaxis. Methods. In a pilot study, 50 patients undergoing autologous or allogeneic HSCT received a prophylactic antibacterial treatment with intravenous piperacillin/tazobactam beginning on day of stem cell or bone marrow transfusion. They were analyzed retrospectively for frequencies of fever of unknown origin (FUO), documented infection, bacteremia and death because of infection. Furthermore, data from microbiological monitoring and tolerability were evaluated. Results. Among 28 autologous transplanted patients, 10 (36%) developed fever more than 38.5 °C; 9/10 FUO, 1/28 pulmonary infiltrates. Eighteen patients (64%) remained without any symptom of infection. In the allogeneic group (n = 22), there were eight patients (36%) with FUO, and five patients (23%) with documented infections (pneumonia 2, enteritis 1, pyelonephritis 1, Escherichia coli bacteremia 1). In nine patients (41%), escalation of antimicrobial treatment was not necessary. The majority of detected microbes in cultures of throat and nose secretions, blood, urine and stool were gram-positive bacteria (77.8%), among them Staphylococcus epidermidis (23.5%), streptococci (group A, B, C; 21.0%) and enterococci (10.6%). Incidence of gram-negative bacteria and fungi was similar with 11.8% and 10.4%, respectively. The most frequent gram-negative strains were Escherichia coli (6.5%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (1.7%). There was no severe toxicity or hypersensitivity. Conclusion. Compared to oral decontamination and chemoprophylaxis, an intravenous prophylactic regimen as described above could be an effective and well-tolerated approach in prevention of bacterial infections and related complications, with a higher acceptance in... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) as compared to chemotherapy in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients with abnormalities of chromosome 17p [abnl(17p)] has not yet been defined. Therefore, we analysed 3530 AML patients treated in three randomized, prospective, controlled clinical trials and compared post-remission therapies using a multivariate Cox regression analysis to determine whether allogeneic HSCT is superior than chemotherapy in overcoming the detrimental impact of patients with abnl(17p) AML. One hundred and forty-three patients (4%) were identified with abnl(17p) AML. All patients had received intensive induction chemotherapy. Forty-seven patients with a median age of 54 years (18-69 years) proceeded to allogeneic HSCT in first or second remission. The 3-year overall survival (OS) rate for the entire cohort of patients was 4% [95% confidence interval (CI), 1-7%]. OS and event-free survival at 3 years, calculated from the day of HSCT, was 11% (95% CI, 2-20%) and 6% (95% CI, 0-13%), respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed no benefit of allogeneic HSCT compared to chemotherapy (Hazard Ratio 0·97, 95% CI 0·56-1·67, P = 0·9). In conclusion, allogeneic HSCT does not improve survival in patients with abnl(17p) AML as compared to other adverse cytogenetic risk abnormalities., (© 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.)

This study was undertaken to evaluate the toxicity and pharmacokinetics of a dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO)-based intravenous formulation of busulphan in the conditioning of 45 patients undergoing allogeneic or autologous stem cell transplantation (SCT). Busulphan was given as a single daily dose. In 15 patients a single dose of intravenous busulphan, given over 3 h in 1 d, was combined with additional oral (single daily) doses. Thirty patients received all four daily doses intravenously. Busulphan plasma levels were analysed using high performance liquid chromatography. There was no major acute toxicity with daily intravenous doses of 2.8-3.1 mg/kg infused over 3 h. No veno-occlusive disease (VOD) was seen in 30 patients receiving busulphan as an intravenous formulation over 4 d. In the group of 15 patients receiving three oral doses and one intravenous single daily dose, one patient experienced mild VOD. Pharmacokinetic samples were taken over at least 2 d of treatment in 44 patients. The area under the concentration time curve (AUC) values normalized for a dose of 1 mg/kg were 7000 ng/ml x h on d 1 and 5890 ng/ml x h on d 4, thus showing a moderate decrease over time. This was accompanied by a moderate increase of the clearance from 2.6 to 3.0 ml/min/kg. Administration of busulphan as a DMSO-based intravenous formulation was well tolerated. The total dose of busulphan can be given in four (rather than the typical 16) doses. With such a regimen, the intravenous administration becomes feasible on an outpatient basis.