Abstract

Seventy episodes of Staphylococcus aureus sepsis occurring over a nine-year period in pediatric cancer patients are reviewed. Prominent findings at the time of diagnosis included fever, granulocytopenia, and active malignancy. Probable or suspected sites of primary infection were present in 40 episodes (57%). Serious direct complications of staphylococcal sepsis included only three cases of pneumonia and one of myositis. However, second infections by other organisms developed in 16 episodes (24%), resulting in nine nonstaphylococcal infectious deaths during therapy. Endocarditis and osteomyelitis never occurred in this group of patients. The median duration of antistaphylococcal therapy was 15 days.

View details for Web of Science ID A1978EL48600012

View details for PubMedID 634675