[Cefepime versus piperacillin/tazobactam with or without amikacin in the treatment of febrile hematological and oncological neutropenic patients in an internal medicine ward].

Background: The efficacy of conventional doses of piperacillin/ tazobactam (PTZ) plus amikacin (AMK) were compared retrospectively to low doses of cefepime (CEF) plus amikacin in high risk febrile neutropenic patients with an underlying hematologic malignancy, and CEF versus PTZ (without AMK) in low risk individuals with febrile neutropenia and underlying solid tumor malignancies.

Methods: Fifty-six high risk hematologic malignancy patients received a combination of PTZ 4.5 grams administered every 8 hours plus AMK 15 mg/kg/day, while 46 received CEF 1 gram administered every 12 hours plus AMK 15 mg/kg/day.

Granulomatous hepatitis and Sjogren's syndrome: an association.

Background: Sjogren's syndrome (SS) is a common autoimmune disorder in which liver involvement is frequent, but generally mild and subclinical. Multiple hepatic histologies have been reported, but to our knowledge an association with granulomatous hepatitis (GH) has never been described. We recently evaluated an individual in whom biopsy-proven GH was associated with concomitant SS.

Adverse drug reactions due to prolonged antibiotic therapy for malignant external otitis.

BACKGROUND: Malignant external otitis (MEO) is a life-threatening infection requiring prolonged antibiotic therapy. Adverse drug reactions (ADR) occur frequently in patients treated with long-term antibiotics, often limiting treatment effectiveness. We attempted to identify and categorize the frequency and type of ADR in patients undergoing treatment for MEO in an attempt to improve overall treatment of individuals with this disorder.