Objective: To identify the microbial agents responsible for bloodstream infection and their sensitivity pattern in pediatric patients having chemotherapy induced neutropenia.
Methodology: It was an observational, cross-sectional study carried out from April 2020 to November 2020 at department of pediatric oncology & pathology, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad. A total of 223 patients of both gender between 3 to 12 years of age with chemotherapy induced febrile neutropenia were enrolled. The blood samples showing growth of bacterial agents on culture medium were identified and antibiograms of these samples were recorded.
Results: Fifty eight percent patients were culture positive. Most frequent pathogen identified was coagulase negative S. aureus (40%) followed by Pseudomonas (37%) and E. coli. (11%). Sensitivity analysis revealed that 58% of S. aureus were sensitive to chloramphenicol, doxycycline, linezolid and vancomycin and 67% of Pseudomonas spp. showed sensitivity to imipenem, levofloxacin, amikacin and piperacillin+tazobactam. All identified E. coli were sensitive to amikacin, piperacillin+tazobactam, imipenem and cefoperazone. All identified Acinobacter were sensitive to only imipenem.
Conclusion: Frequency of febrile neutropenia is highest in younger age group and gram positive organisms are the commonest found on culture followed by gram negative pathogens and Fungai.
Key words: Febrile neutropenia, ALL, chemotherapy induced neutropenia.
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