All patients presenting with fever following chemotherapy should be managed as if they have neutropenic fever and receive empiric antibiotics without waiting for laboratory confirmation of neutrophil count. This management may be modified if neutrophil count and function are found to be adequate.
Time to first dose:
- patients with features of systemic compromise (such as hypotension, hypoxia, confusion, major organ dysfunction) should receive antibiotics within 30 minutes of presentation. Where possible, this should follow the immediate collection of blood cultures and administration of fluid support (grade C)*
- clinically stable patients should receive antibiotics within 1 hour of presentation after appropriate cultures have been taken (grade C)*
- administration of antibiotics should not be delayed by the conduct of laboratory or radiological investigations (grade C)*
* Refers to the levels of evidence and grades of recommendations used in the published guidelines.
Refer to flow diagram for more information regarding initial patient evaluation and risk assessment.
Step 1: Perform septic workup
Blood cultures and other tests:
- 1 set (aerobic and anaerobic bottles) from each lumen of CVAD (if in situ)
- 1 set from peripheral blood
- full blood count with differential white cell count
- electrolytes, urea and serum creatinine
- liver function
- mid stream urine/catheter specimen urine
- sputum (if clinically indicated)
- faeces (if clinically indicated)
- swab of central venous catheter exit site
- swab of any other suspicious wounds/focal lesions.
Chest x-ray (if unavailable still proceed to step 2 and ensure arrangements for CXR have been made).
DO NOT WAIT FOR RESULTS
Step 2: Commence empiric antibiotic therapy (doses are for normal renal function)
Immediate management of neutropenic fever
| Patient group |
Recommendation (grading and level of evidence) |
Patients without features of systemic compromise
(Beta-lactam monotherapy is recommended unless allergy to the recommended agent/s) |
No penicillin allergy:
Piperacillin-tazobactam 4.5 g IV 6-8 hourly (grade A) OR
Cefepime 2 g IV 8 hourly
Other reasonable choice for monotherapy is ceftazidime 2 g IV 8 hourly (grade A) |
Non-life threatening penicillin allergy (rash):
Cefepime 2 g IV 8 hourly (grade C)
Other reasonable choices for monotherapy are ceftazidime 2 g IV 8 hourly or meropenem 1 g IV 8 hourly (grade C) |
Life-threatening (immediate) penicillin allergy or beta-lactam allergy:
Aztreonam 1-2 g IV 8 hourly OR ciprofloxacin 400 mg IV 12 hourly (expert opinion)
+ vancomycin 1.5 g IV 12 hourly (if CrCl >90 mL/min) OR 1 g IV 12 hourly (if CrCl 60-90 mL/min)†* |
Patients with systemic compromise
(The combination of a beta-lactam antibiotic with an aminoglycoside is the regimen of choice) |
As for patients without features of systemic compromise (expert opinion) (see above):
+ gentamicin 5 to 7 mg/kg ideal body weight IV once daily, adjusted to level
+/– vancomycin 1.5 g IV 12 hourly (if CrCl >90 mL/min) OR 1 g IV 12 hourly (if CrCl 60-90 mL/min)†*
|
| Patients with cellulitis, obviously infected vascular devices, or MRSA carriers with extensive skin breaks/desquamation |
As for patients without features of systemic compromise (see above):
+ vancomycin 1.5 g IV 12 hourly (if CrCl >90 mL/min) OR 1 g IV 12 hourly (if CrCl 60-90 mL/min)†*
|
| Patients with features of abdominal or perineal infection |
As for patients without features of systemic compromise (see above):
+ metronidazole 500 mg IV/PO 12 hourly if receiving cefepime, ceftazidime or ciprofloxacin first-line (grade D)
Alternatively, piperacillin-tazobactam or meropenem will provide adequate anaerobic cover, if required (grade B), other than for suspected or proven Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea or colitis
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© Internal Medicine Journal 2011
*Clinicians caring for a patient with immediate hypersensitivity to one beta-lactam who have subsequently tolerated an alternative suitable antipseudomonal beta-lactam agent may elect to administer this second agent under careful supervision.
†Refer to the Therapeutic Guidelines version 14 for dosing guidance. For vancomycin, individual institutions may use alternative loading-dose protocols
Note: Recommendations for individual antibiotics may not align directly with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved indications. Therefore, following these recommendations may lead to off-label use of some agents.
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Summary
- Beta-lactam monotherapy, such as piperacillin-tazobactam (Tazocin®) or cefepime, is the empiric therapy of choice for all clinically stable patients with neutropenic fever.
- An antipseudomonal beta-lactam antibiotic plus gentamicin is recommended for patients with systemic compromise.
- All patients in septic shock should receive antibiotics within 30 minutes of presentation, and all other patients within 1 hour.
- Vancomycin is not recommended as initial empiric therapy unless there is systemic compromise or an approved indication for its use.
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This is initial immediate therapy only and subsequent treatment should be based on clinical findings and at the discretion of the treating clinician.
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