Prevention of Infection by Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole Plus Amphotericin B in Patients with Acute Nonlymphocytic Leukaemia

Abstract

Fifty-two patients with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia were studied during remission induction treatment in a randomized trial to ascertain the effect of prophylactic oral trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole on infection and fever rate. A decrease in the total number of acquired infections was found (16 infections in the group given trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole vs. 31 in the control group, P < 0.01). The number of patients without any infection in the trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole group was 13 compared to only 3 in the control group (P < 0.01). Patients in the trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole group needed parenteral antibiotics during 33% of the days they were granulocytopenic compared to 61% of these days for patients in the control group. Six of 9 bacteriologically documented infections in the trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole group were caused by resistant microorganisms compared to 2 of 20 in the control group.