Antimicrobial Revision in Persistent Febrile Neutropenia

Febrile neutropenia is often seen in patients with hematologic malignancies who receive cytotoxic chemotherapy. These patients are usually placed on posaconazole prophylaxis upon starting chemotherapy. If an episode of febrile neutropenia occurs, generally an anti-pseudomonal beta lactam, like cefepime or piperacillin-tazobactam, is initiated. In patients who continue to fever on these agents, the optimal method of antimicrobial revision has yet to be determined.

In this prospective, randomized, open-label, single-center trial, the primary objective is to compare the clinical efficacy of two approaches to antimicrobial revision among patients with persistent febrile neutropenia. Neutropenic patients on cefepime or piperacillin-tazobactam who continue to fever for greater than 96 hours will be randomized to receive either meropenem or micafungin dosed according to local guidelines. The primary outcome is a global success rate including a composite of defervescence within 72 hours of meropenem or micafungin initiation, absence of signs or symptoms of infection, and no modification to antimicrobial regimen after initiation of meropenem or micafungin. The secondary outcomes to be collected include in-hospital mortality or discharge to hospice, hospital length of stay, time to defervescence, days of therapy of meropenem or micafungin, rate of Clostridioides difficile infection on meropenem or micafungin, and cause of any proven breakthrough infection while on meropenem or micafungin.