Selenium in the prevention of anthracycline-induced cardiac toxicity in children with cancer.

High cumulative doses of anthracyclines (300-500 mg/m(2)) used in the treatment of children with cancer may result in cardiotoxicity, a major long-term adverse effect that limits clinical usefulness of this class of chemotherapeutic agents. We assessed anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity by measuring Pro-BNP levels and echocardiographic (ECHO) findings and investigated potential protective effect of selenium (Se) supplementation in a group of pediatric cancer patients. Plasma level of Pro-BNP was measured, and ECHO was performed in 67 patients (45 boys, 22 girls; ages 2-18 years; median age 12 years) after they completed anthracycline-containing chemotherapy.

Successful treatment of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli bacteremia with tigecycline in an acute myeloid leukemia child.

The multidrug-resistant bacterial infections cause high mortality in immunocompromised patients because of the limited antibacterial choices. Tigecycline, first member of the glycylcyclines, has in vitro activity against a wide variety of organisms, including multidrug-resistant pathogens; however, it has not yet been approved for use in children. Herein, we report a nine-year-old girl with acute myeloid leukemia who was treated successfully with tigecycline due to multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli bacteremia.