Infectious complications during neutropenia subsequent to peripheral blood stem cell transplantation

Type, severity and incidence of infection during the neutropenic period after peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) for treatment of malignant disease were studied in 66 patients treated at a single institution. Data of 34 female and 32 male patients with a median age of 43 years suffering from leukemia (12), lymphoma (35), multiple myeloma (six) or solid tumors (13) were retrospectively analyzed. All patients had received at least 2.5 x 10(6) CD34-positive cells for stem cell rescue after high-dose chemotherapy. Ninety-four percent of the patients experienced at least one febrile episode during their post-transplant course. The patients recovered quickly and defervesced after …