Immediate versus deferred empirical antifungal (IDEA) therapy in high-risk patients with febrile neutropenia: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2013 May;32(5):679-89. doi: 10.1007/s10096-012-1794-4. Epub 2012 Dec 28.

Abstract

Empirical antifungal therapy is widely used in high-risk neutropenic hematology patients with fever persisting for more than 4 days. This clinical trial assessed whether immediate empirical therapy with voriconazole could lower the rates of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) compared with this approach. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study, patients with acute leukemia undergoing chemotherapy or allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients were randomized to broad-spectrum antibacterial therapy plus voriconazole (immediate) or placebo (deferred) after the onset of neutropenic fever. If fever persisted for 96 h, patients were switched to open-label intravenous voriconazole; oral treatment was permitted after 96 h. The primary endpoint was the rate of proven/probable IFIs between Days 2 and 28 after fever onset in the modified intent-to-treat (mITT) complete-case population. One hundred and forty-seven patients were randomized to immediate (n = 81) or deferred (n = 66) voriconazole. In the mITT population, six patients in the immediate group and nine in the deferred group developed proven/probable IFI between Days 2 and 28 (p = 0.258). The safety profiles were similar in both groups. While immediate empirical therapy with voriconazole appears to be safe in febrile neutropenic high-risk patients, it was not associated with a significant reduction in IFIs compared with therapy deferred for 96 h after fever onset.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antifungal Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Antifungal Agents / adverse effects
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Female
  • Fever / blood
  • Fever / drug therapy*
  • Fever / microbiology
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
  • Humans
  • Leukemia / blood
  • Leukemia / microbiology
  • Leukemia / therapy
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mycoses / drug therapy
  • Mycoses / prevention & control*
  • Neutropenia / drug therapy*
  • Neutropenia / microbiology
  • Placebos
  • Pyrimidines / administration & dosage
  • Pyrimidines / adverse effects
  • Triazoles / administration & dosage
  • Triazoles / adverse effects
  • Voriconazole

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • Placebos
  • Pyrimidines
  • Triazoles
  • Voriconazole