OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical features of severe aplastic anemia (SAA) patients with complication of infection. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of prevalence of infection occurring in 229 SAA patients, their bacterial spectrum, and the effect of GM-CSF or G-CSF on the infection were done. RESULT: The prevalence of infection in SAA patients was 86.0%, among which 54.2% was infected with gram-positive organisms, 40.0% with gram-negative bacilli and 5.8% with fungal infections. Septicemia occurred mostly with E. coli and Pseudomonas infection. Patient's neutropenia was significantly related to the infection. The patients with neutrophil count less than 0.2 x 10(9)/L had more frequent and severe infection. Age, hemoglobin level, subtype of T lymphocytes and antithymocyte globulin therapy were not related to infection. Prophylaxis usage of floxacin could not reduce patient' gastrointestinal infection. The total mortality of SAA patients with infection was 23.1%. Pulmonary infection and septicemia increased mortality, and GM-CSF/G-CSF therapy reduce mortality. CONCLUSION: SAA patients were at high risk of infection which was significantly associated with severe neutropenia. GM-CSF or G-CSF therapy exerts an assistant role to antibiotics in controlling the infections.
OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical features of severe aplastic anemia (SAA) patients with complication of infection. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of prevalence of infection occurring in 229 SAApatients, their bacterial spectrum, and the effect of GM-CSF or G-CSF on the infection were done. RESULT: The prevalence of infection in SAApatients was 86.0%, among which 54.2% was infected with gram-positive organisms, 40.0% with gram-negative bacilli and 5.8% with fungal infections. Septicemia occurred mostly with E. coli and Pseudomonas infection. Patient's neutropenia was significantly related to the infection. The patients with neutrophil count less than 0.2 x 10(9)/L had more frequent and severe infection. Age, hemoglobin level, subtype of T lymphocytes and antithymocyte globulin therapy were not related to infection. Prophylaxis usage of floxacin could not reduce patient' gastrointestinal infection. The total mortality of SAApatients with infection was 23.1%. Pulmonary infection and septicemia increased mortality, and GM-CSF/G-CSF therapy reduce mortality. CONCLUSION:SAApatients were at high risk of infection which was significantly associated with severe neutropenia. GM-CSF or G-CSF therapy exerts an assistant role to antibiotics in controlling the infections.