Prophylactic Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole During Consolidation Chemotherapy for Acute Leukemia: A Controlled Trial

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Abstract
A prospective, controlled, randomized trial of oral trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole treatment was conducted in patients with acute leukemia receiving consolidation chemotherapy. Fourteen treatment patients were followed during 33 episodes and 15 control patients during 34 episodes of granulocytopenia (< 1000 granulocytes/mm3). No significant difference was found in the incidence of febrile episodes (13 in treatment group vs. 14 in control group), hospitalizations to treat fever or infection (10 vs. 12), number of documented infections (8 vs. 10), number of septicemias (1 vs. 2) or mean duration of hospital stay to treat fever or infection (8.9 vs. 9.2 days) in the 2 groups. There was little colonization with organisms resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, including Candida, in either group. Prophylactic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole did not significantly reduce the incidence of fever, hospitalization or infection in granulocytopenic patients during consolidation chemotherapy.