Factors and Outcomes Related to the Use of Guideline-Recommended Antibiotics in Patients With Neutropenic Fever at the Uganda Cancer Institute

Abstract Background Neutropenic fever (NF) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality for patients receiving cancer treatment in sub-Saharan Africa (sSA). However, the antibiotic management of NF in sub-Saharan Africa has not been well described. We evaluated the timing and selection of antibiotics for patients with NF at the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI). Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review of adults with acute leukemia admitted to UCI from 1 January 2016 to 31 May 2017, who developed NF. For each NF event, we evaluated the association of clinical presentation and demographics with antibiotic selection as well as time to both initial and guideline-recommended antibiotics. We also evaluated the association between ordered antibiotics and the in-hospital case fatality ratio (CFR). Results Forty-nine NF events occurred among 39 patients. The time to initial antibiotic order was