Evaluation of glycopeptide prescription in high-risk febrile neutropenia: A monocentric study of North Africa

Introduction High-risk febrile neutropenia (FN) is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in onco-hematology. The initiation of empirical antibiotic therapy is an emergency that can change the prognosis of some patients. Given the emergence of increasingly resistant Gram-positive bacteremia, glycopeptides, as an empirical treatment, have an important place in the management of high-risk FN. The aim of this study is to evaluate the appropriateness of glycopeptide prescription in high-risk FN patients. Methods This study was conducted in the Hematology Department of Fattouma Bourguiba University Hospital of Monastir, Tunisia. Patients with high-risk FN were enrolled during the period between January 1 and December 31, 2020. Results Of the 29 patients included in this study, 88 FN episodes were noted of which 39 episodes treated with glycopeptides were evaluated. Twenty-four febrile episodes were empirically treated with glycopeptides (27.3%) of which 17 prescriptions (70.8%) were appropriate according to the European Conference on Infection in Leukemia and the Infectious Diseases Society of America recommendations. A therapeutic escalation using glycopeptides was noted in 17% of cases and appropriately opted in 6 FN episodes (40%). Conclusion Prescriptions of glycopeptides were appropriate according to the international recommendations in 71% of the empirical prescriptions and in 40% of the therapeutic escalation using glycopeptides. In high-risk FN episodes, glycopeptides prescriptions should be rationalized and limited to the indications detailed in the international guidelines to control the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria.