Preemptive antifungal treatment in febrile neutropenic patients with hematological malignancy - new treatment strategy?

Abstract

Empirical antifungal therapy is still the standard treatment approach in febrile neutropenic patient with hematological malignancy. Preemptive treatment approach is based on the imaging (hrCT), and/or serological (galactomannan antigen) results suggesting fungal disease.

So the virtue of preemptive therapy is that it is based on objective markers of “probable” invasive infection. In this article we discuss the differences between empiric, “clinically driven“ therapy and preemptive, “diagnostic driven“ therapy of “probable” invasive infection.

Keywords

• antifungal therapy
• empirical
• preemptive therapy
• febrile neutropenia