Bacteremia Due To Pseudomonas aeruginosa Complicating Neoplastic Disease: A Progress Report

Abstract

The incidence of pseudomonas bacteremia has fallen steadily at Memorial Hospital during the last five years. Despite the availability of effective antibiotics, the rate of mortality from pseudomonas bacteremia remains high, especially among immunosuppressed and neutropenic patients. Administration of corticosteroids or immunosuppressive agents and prior treatment with antibiotics are all associated with a worse prognosis for survival, but neutropenia appears to be correlated most closely with mortality. Despite widespread use of both gentamicin and carbenicillin at this center, the majority of isolates of Pseudomonas from the blood remain sensitive to levels of these antibiotics that can be achieved readily. Treatment with the combination of carbenicillin and gentamicin appears to be associated with an improved rate of recovery from bacteremia with Pseudomonas, especially among neutropenic patients.