Increased Incidence of Bacteraemia Due to Viridans Streptococci in an Unselected Population of Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia

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Abstract
The aetiology, clinical characteristics and outcome of bacteraemia in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia were studied. All positive blood cultures collected at a haematological ward during 2 7-y periods were evaluated. Altogether, 274 episodes of bacteraemia in 152 patients were recorded, 80 episodes during 1980-86 and 194 during 1990-96. During the 2 periods, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazol in combination with amikacin was the first-line empirical therapy in patients with neutropaenia and fever. In 1990, antimicrobial prophylaxis with ciprofloxacin and fluconazole was introduced. The incidence of bacteraemia due to viridans streptococci or coagulase-negative staphylococci increased from the first period to the second, whereas the incidence of Enterobacteriaceae decreased. In granulocytopaenic patients during 1990-96, viridans streptococci accounted for 21% of the isolates and in patients treated prophylactically with fluoroquinolone, viridans streptococci accounted for 31%. All viridans streptococci were sensitive to penicillin. At the time of the positive blood cultures, the patients of the second period were granulocytopaenic in 83% of the episodes. The mortality related to septicaemia during the later period was 13% and only 1 of 33 (3%) of the patients with viridans streptococci died. Eight patients (9%) died in relation to septicaemia following curative antileukaemic therapy.