Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Arbekacin against Pneumonia in Febrile Neutropenia: A Retrospective Study in Patients with Hematologic Malignancies

• Published in: Infection & chemotherapy Vol. 54; no. 1; pp. 80 - 90
• Main Authors: Ohashi, Takashi, Fujita, Yukiyoshi, Irisawa, Hiroyuki, Nakaminami, Hidemasa, Arai, Takahiro, Takahashi, Masumi, Momiyama, Emi, Murata, Naoya, Murayama, Kayoko, Saito, Taeko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) The Korean Society of Infectious Diseases; Korean Society for Antimicrobial Therapy; The Korean Society for AIDS 01.03.2022; 대한감염학회
• Subjects: Original; 내과학; Pneumonia; Hematologic malignancy; Staphylococcal infection; Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Febrile neutropenia
• ISSN: 2093-2340; 2092-6448
• DOI: 10.3947/ic.2021.0126

Arbekacin (ABK) is an aminoglycoside that exhibits anti-methicillin-resistant (MRSA) and anti- activities. Therefore, for patients with febrile neutropenia (FN) and concurrent pneumonia suspected to be caused by MRSA, ABK may be sufficiently effective even as a single agent. Patients with hematologic malignancies treated with ABK who met the following criteria were included: 1) fever during neutropenia or functional neutropenia, 2) FN complicated by pneumonia, and 3) possible infection by antimicrobial-resistant Gram-positive cocci. This study encompassed 22 episodes involving 19 patients, of which, 15 (68.2%) were successfully treated with ABK. Of the nine episodes showing inadequate response to other anti-MRSA drugs, eight were successfully treated with ABK. Grade 2 or worse adverse events included acute kidney injury (13.6%) and increased transaminase levels (9.1%). The present study demonstrated that ABK is effective and safe in patients with FN and concurrent pneumonia caused by antimicrobial-resistant Gram-positive cocci. ABK may also be effective in patients who are unresponsive to other anti-MRSA drugs. Therefore, ABK may be beneficial in the treatment of pneumonia caused by antimicrobial-resistant Gram-positive cocci in patients with FN.