A multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial comparing piperacillin-tazobactam with and without amikacin as empiric therapy for febrile neutropenia.

Author(s): Del Favero A, Menichetti F, Martino P, Bucaneve G, Micozzi A, Gentile G, Furno P, Russo D, D'Antonio D, Ricci P, Martino B, Mandelli F, Gruppo Italiano Malattie Ematologiche dell'Adulto (GIMEMA) Infection Program

Affiliation(s): Istituto Medicina Interna e Scienze Oncologiche, Universita di Perugia, Perugia, Italy. delfa@unipg.it

Publication date & source: 2001-10-15, Clin Infect Dis., 33(8):1295-301. Epub 2001 Sep 14.

Publication type: Clinical Trial; Multicenter Study; Randomized Controlled Trial

In a prospective, multicenter, double-blind, randomized clinical trial, we compared the efficacy of piperacillin-tazobactam (4.5 g 3 times daily intravenously) plus placebo versus piperacillin-tazobactam plus amikacin (7.5 mg/kg twice daily intravenously) for the treatment of 760 febrile, adult patients with cancer with chemotherapy-induced profound (<500 neutrophils/mm3) and prolonged (>10 days) neutropenia. A total of 733 patients were assessable for efficacy of the drug regimens, and an overall successful outcome was reported in 49% (179 of 364) of the patients who received monotherapy, compared with 53% (196 of 369) of patients who received combination therapy (P=.2). Response rates were similar with both regimens, as were incidences of bacteremia and clinically documented and possible infections. In our epidemiological setting, the initial empiric combination therapy was not associated with improved outcomes when compared with initial monotherapy.