High Infection-Related Mortality in Pediatric Acute Myeloid Leukemia without Preventive Antibiotics and Antifungals: Retrospective Cohort Study of a Single Center from a Middle-Income Country

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate infection-related mortality in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated without preventive antibiotics and antifungals in a middle-income country. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Infection-related mortality was evaluated retrospectively in 49 pediatric patients. RESULTS: A total of 173 chemotherapy courses were administered as first-line chemotherapy. Four patients died during induction: one patient due to intracranial bleeding, two patients due to typhlitis, and one patient due to invasive fungal infection with pulmonary vascular invasion and massive bleeding. Another two patients died with resistant disease. During consolidation there were four infection-related deaths and one death due to cardiotoxicity. In first-line chemotherapy mortality was 22% (11/49); infection-related mortality was 14% (7/49). Event-free survival and overall survival at 6 years were 42.9% and 61.2% (95% CI: 44-76 and 66-99 months), respectively. CONCLUSION: Due to considerable infection-related deaths, antibacterial and mold-active antifungal prophylaxis may be tried during neutropenic periods in pediatric AML.