012402 Voriconazole Compared with Liposomal Amphotericin B
The New England Journal of Medicine Copyright © 2002 by the Massachusetts Medical Society VOLUME 346 J ANUARY 24, 2002 NUMBER 4 VORICONAZOLE COMPARED WITH LIPOSOMAL AMPHOTERICIN B FOR EMPIRICAL ANTIFUNGAL THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH NEUTROPENIA AND PERSISTENT FEVER THOMAS J. WALSH, M.D., PETER PAPPAS, M.D., DREW J. WINSTON, M.D., HILLARD M. LAZARUS, M.D., FINN PETERSEN, M.D., JOHN RAFFALLI, M.D., SAUL YANOVICH, M.D., PATRICK STIFF, M.D., RICHARD GREENBERG, M.D., GERALD DONOWITZ, M.D., AND JEANETTE LEE, PH.D., FOR THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES MYCOSES STUDY GROUP* ABSTRACT NVASIVE fungal infections are important caus- Background Patients with neutropenia and per- es of morbidity and mortality among patients sistent fever are often treated empirically with am- receiving cancer chemotherapy or undergoing photericin B or liposomal amphotericin B to prevent bone marrow or stem-cell transplantation.1-3 invasive fungal infections. Antifungal triazoles offer IOver the past two decades, empirical antifungal ther- a potentially safer and effective alternative. apy with conventional amphotericin B or liposomal Methods In a randomized, international, multi- amphotericin B has become the standard of care in center trial, we compared voriconazole, a new sec- reducing invasive fungal infections in patients with ond-generation triazole, with liposomal amphoteri- neutropenia and persistent fever.4-9 Amphotericin B, cin B for empirical antifungal therapy. however, is associated with significant dose-limiting Results A total of
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