Abstract
Bacteremia following febrile neutropenia is a serious complication in children with malignancies. Preventive measures are currently targeted at antimicrobial prophylaxis, amelioration of drug-induced neutropenia, and nosocomial spread of pathogens, with little attention to community-acquired infections. A retrospective study was conducted at a pediatric oncology center during a 3-year period to identify probable cases of food-borne infections with bacteremia. Twenty-one bacteremic illnesses affecting 15 children receiving chemotherapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation were reviewed. Three (14%) episodes were highly suspected of a food-borne origin: a 17-year-old boy with osteosarcoma contracted Sphingomonas paucimobilis septicemia after consuming nasi lemak bought from a street hawker; a 2-year-old boy with acute lymphoblastic leukemia developed Chryseobacterium meningosepticum septicemia after a sushi dinner; a 2-year-old girl was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and Lactobacillus bacteremia suspected to be of probiotic origin. All of them were neutropenic at the time of the infections and the bacteremias were cleared with antibiotic treatment. Food-borne sepsis may be an important, but readily preventable, cause of bloodstream infections in pediatric oncology patients, especially in tropical countries with an abundance of culinary outlets.
Highlights
Tions pertaining to the supply and cleanliness Bacteremia following febrile neutropenia is of food to the hospitalized children even a serious complication in children with malig- though most of the bloodstream infections are Conflict of interest: the authors report no conflicts of interest
Three (14%) l episodes were highly suspected of a food-borne ia origin: a 17-year-old boy with osteosarcoma contracted Sphingomonas paucimobilis sepc ticemia after consuming nasi lemak bought r from a street hawker; a 2-year-old boy with e acute lymphoblastic leukemia developed
Chryseobacterium meningosepticum sepm ticemia after a sushi dinner; a 2-year-old girl m was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and Lactobacillus bacteremia suso pected to be of probiotic origin
Summary
Tions pertaining to the supply and cleanliness Bacteremia following febrile neutropenia is of food to the hospitalized children even a serious complication in children with malig- though most of the bloodstream infections are Conflict of interest: the authors report no conflicts of interest. A retn rospective study was conducted at a pediatric oncology center during a 3-year period to ideno tify probable cases of food-borne infections with bacteremia. Twenty-one bacteremic ille nesses affecting 15 children receiving s chemotherapy or hematopoietic stem cell u transplantation were reviewed.
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