Monotherapy for fever and neutropenia in cancer patients: a randomized comparison of ceftazidime versus imipenem.

Abstract

Ceftazidime and imipenem are both effective in the management of fever and chemotherapy-related neutropenia, provided that modifications are made in response to clinical and microbiologic data that emerge during the course of neutropenia. Imipenem, despite its broader antimicrobial spectrum, does not significantly decrease the overall need for antibiotic modifications and is more often complicated by gastrointestinal toxicity.