Pattern of Bacterial Infections in Cancer Patients -Experience from a Tertiary Cancer Center

Abstract

It is a general belief that cancer patients are more prone to infections, particularly bacterial infections. Firstly, disease itself present an immuno-compromised status, secondarily chemotherapy and radiotherapy further suppress the immunity level which is further overburden by poor nutritional state and poor hygienic conditions in these patients. With the invent of better diagnostic modalities and many technological advancement in treatment delivery, the mortality rates have fallen over the past years, but infection remains a primary or associated cause of death, with bacteria most commonly accounting for infection-associated mortality, followed by fungi. The management of the infections is based on the use of appropriate empirical antimicrobial therapeutic agents with a comprehensive understanding of pathogens which are the commonly encountered in cancer patients in day-to-day practice and also understanding of antibiotic sensitivity patterns. Though the empirical use of antibiotics has reduced the mortality in patients but has also led to the menace of multidrug-resistant bacteria.