Bloodstream infections in children with cancer and high risk fever and neutropenia episodes in six hospitals of Santiago, Chile between 2004 and 2009 Agentes causantes de bacteriemia en niños con cáncer y neutropenia febril de alto riesgo en seis hospital

Introduction: To determine the etiology of invasive bacterial infection in high risk febrile neutropenia (HRFN) episodes in children with cancer is essential because of the favorable impact on mortality of the early empiric antibiotic treatment. Objective: To determine the etiology of bacteremia in pediatric patients with cancer and HRFN in the National Child Program of Antineoplastic Drugs during the 2004-2009 period, and compare these agents and their antimicrobial susceptibility with the period 1994-1998 described in a previous study. Methods: The causative agents of bacteremia were prospectively recorded in patients less than 18 years of age receiving chemotherapy for cancer with HRFN and positive blood cultures admitted to one of the six hospitals from the Child Program of Antineoplastic Drugs network during the period 2004-2009. Results: 839 episodes of HRFN were identifi ed; 181 blood cultures were positive in the following proportion: gram positive cocci (56%), gram negative b