Ambulatory management of infections in patients with cancer

THE TREATMENT of febrile episodes in neutropenic patients with cancer consists of empiric broad-spectrum antibiotics. Recent studies demonstrate that subsets of patients with febrile neutropenia have varying degrees of risk for major life-threatening complications during treatment with antibiotics. Prospective randomized clinical trials have demonstrated that low-risk patients can be identified early after the onset of fever and can benefit from outpatient therapy with intravenous or oral antibiotic regimens. This novel approach may be cost-effective, and it allows providers to reserve inpatient resources for high-risk patients who may require more intensive monitoring.