Infectious Complications of Chemotherapy in a Protected Environment

Abstract

NUMEROUS recent studies have pointed out that the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with cancer is not the underlying disease but associated infection and drug toxicity.^{1 2 3} In an attempt to combat these complications, patient isolator systems§ have been in use on the chemotherapy wards of the National Cancer Institute since September, 1964.⁴ Their use has been predicated on the belief that it is not only exogenous micro-organisms that can cause infection in malignant states but often the normal flora of the patient's skin and gastrointestinal tract as well.⁵ The isolator system described below prevents the introduction . . .