| pubmed-article:596252 | pubmed:abstractText | The frequency of fever days was measured in 67 patients with acute leukemia in the initial phase until remission was obtained or the patient died. A total of 3411 hospital days were studied. Three antibiotic schedules were examined between 1970 and 1975. There were 50% fever days when penicillin and streptomycin were combined as initial antibiotics, 37% when cephalosporin and gentamycin were used, and 31% when, in addition, semi-isolation was used prophylactically and granulocytes were given in a therapeutic attempt (0.05 greater than p greater than 0.01). The corresponding frequencies of early death were 9/21 (43%), 6/23 (26%) and 5/23 (22%). Early death occurred on an average 14, 23 and 21 days after admission. The frequencies of remission (complete and partial) were 8/21 (38%), 12/23 (52%), and 13/23 (57%). A randomized subgroup (12 patients) with intestinal sterilization was studied separately. It had 28% fever days, which is significantly less (p less than 0.01) than in the 13 patients given the same systemic antibiotics without intestinal sterilization. Fever was significantly lower (0.05 greater than p greater than 0.01) on the day after a series of granulocyte transfusions than before, although only 10(9) granulocytes were given. However, this fever reduction may have been due to concomitant antibiotics. | lld:pubmed |
