HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by EL-MAHALLAWY, H.A. Articles by ABO-EL-NAGA, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by EL-MAHALLAWY, H.A. Articles by ABO-EL-NAGA, S. Agricola Articles by EL-MAHALLAWY, H.A. Articles by ABO-EL-NAGA, S.

A prospective study on fungal infection in children with cancer

Chest Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

Corresponding author: Dr H. A. El-Mahallawy (e-mail: hadir38{at}hotmail.com or zeneldin@ie-eg.com).

Received 9 April 2001; revised version received 2 Jan. 2002; accepted 31 Jan. 2002.

Abstract

A prospective study was conducted in 1999 at the National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, to estimate the incidence, morbidity and mortality of fungal infections along with the evaluation of risk factors influencing outcome of infections among paediatric cancer patients. Of 1917 infectious episodes, the fungal infection rate as documented both clinically and microbiologically was 3.7% (70 cases). Fungal pathogens isolated were yeasts in 55 patients (78.6%) and moulds in 15 patients (21.11%). Among yeasts, Candida parapsilosis was the commonest, followed by C. tropicalis. Pneumonia was the most common fungal infection (n=25, 35.7%), followed by fungaemia (n=18, 25.7%). The overall mortality rate was 40% (n=28), with an infection-related mortality of 28.5% (n=20). Risk factors that accompanied mortality were relapsing or recurrent disease, profound neutropenia, ADE (Ara-C, daunorubocin and etoposide) protocol of chemotherapy, C. tropicalis isolated and fungaemia as a site of infection. Early use of empirical antifungal therapy (day 4) was not associated with a better outcome. In the light of the poor outcome of patients with fungaemia and fungal pneumonia, every effort should be made to prevent these infections in paediatric cancer patients.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				B. J. Spellberg, M. Collins, V. Avanesian, M. Gomez, J. E. Edwards Jr., C. Cogle, D. Applebaum, Y. Fu, and A. S. Ibrahim Optimization of a myeloid cell transfusion strategy for infected neutropenic hosts J. Leukoc. Biol., March 1, 2007; 81(3): 632 - 641. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. J. Spellberg, M. Collins, S. W. French, J. E. Edwards Jr, Y. Fu, and A. S. Ibrahim A phagocytic cell line markedly improves survival of infected neutropenic mice J. Leukoc. Biol., August 1, 2005; 78(2): 338 - 344. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]