SURVEillANCE OF INFECTION IN PEDmATRBC ONCOLOGY WARDS AT NATDONAIL CANCER INSTITUTE, CAIRO UNIVERSITY

Abstract

Infection causes significant morbidity and mortality in children with cru1cer. Cancer patients ru•e at unusually high risk for developing infections which ru•e a major cause of in-hospital morbidity and mortality. The predisposition of infection in malignant patient is mediated through various abnonnalities including both the immune defects inherent in the primary disease ru1d in fmther immunosuppression related to the management.

This cross sectional study was canied out to find out the pattem of iufectiou in pediatric oncology wards at NCI, Cairo University, to determine (he frequency and types of risk factors predisposing to infection and to determine the impact of that infection on mortality of pediatric oncology patients. The study included 175 pediatric cancer patients with proved infection, the cases were drawn from tl1e inpatient department at the NCI, Cairo, including free and insurance sectors.

The analysis showed that: The commonest evident focus of infection was mucositis (83.43%), followed by GIT (45.14%) and then chest infection (26.86%).

The most common organisms were: Grrun positive organi ms account for (58.2%) conesponding to (39.8%) of Gram-negative organisms.

The mortality rate was (I 0.3%) and the Predicting factors for infection were as follow: t11e residence of the patients whetl1er mral or urban, socioeconomic state of the patients measured by crowdeness index, socioeconomic state of the parents, chest infection and intensified protocols of chemothcrnpy