Infections In Hematological Malignancies

Infections are among the most frequent complications in patients with hematological malignancies and in those undergoing high-dose chemotherapy and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. A profound knowledge on the epidemiology, diagnostic approaches, treatment modalities and prophylactic strategies is essential for the clinical management of these complications in patients who are often severely immunocompromised owing to their underlying diseases and in particular, the intensive myelosuppressive chemo and immunotherapy. This textbook provides a clinically oriented, compact and up-to-date overview on infections in hematology patients and their management. The typical pathogens to be considered in different subgroups of patients are identified and further aspects of the microbiological background are explored. Clinical, imaging, and laboratory-based diagnostic techniques are discussed and therapeutic strategies appropriate to different situations are then presented, with due attention to the pitfalls, toxicities and interactions that can arise during antimicrobial treatment. Strategies to prevent infection are also outlined, encompassing antimicrobial prophylaxis, isolation procedures, hospital hygiene, protective immunization and the use of hematopoietic growth factors.

Managing infections that complicate care of neutropenic patients with leukemia and hematopoietic stem cell recipients has become a distinct specialty. In Managing Infections in Patients with Hematological Malignancies, the authors and editor draw on their extensive expertise while providing a roadmap for hematologists to efficiently manage the complex infections within their patients. The first section of the text reviews viral, bacterial, and fungal pathogens, and provides brief descriptions of the microbes and diseases they cause in patients with hematological malignancies. The second section is devoted to management of infections in patients with the different underlying hematological malignancies, while the third addresses several important topics that are often ignored in most books about infections and hematological malignancies. Managing Infections in Hematological Malignancies is a useful tool for all clinicians and practicing hematologists who treat individual patients and aspire to build stronger infectious diseases programs within their respective cancer centers.

This book provides a thorough update on the management of infections in patients with hematologic malignancies, focusing particularly on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Detailed attention is devoted to the central roles that vaccination and anti-infective prophylaxis have gained in improving overall survival in this patient group, in accordance with the principle that prevention is better than cure. Careful consideration is also paid to risk stratification, which is crucial in ensuring that anti-infective prophylaxis is targeted to those at the highest risk. While preventive strategies reduce the prevalence of infections, optimized management strategies are vital to decrease infection-related morbidity and mortality in those who nevertheless develop infections. Here, readers will find in-depth, up-to-date knowledge on the diagnosis and treatment of bacterial, fungal, viral, and parasitic infections, according to the affected organ and the causative pathogen. Finally, treatment in intensive care units is reviewed. The book will be of high value for hematologists, oncologists, and infection specialists.

In collaboration with Consulting Editor, Dr. Helen Boucher, Dr. Jo-Ann Young has put together a state-of the-art issue of the Infectious Disease Clinics of North America devoted to Management of Infectious Diseases in Stem Cell Transplantation and Hematologic Malignancy. Clinical review articles from expert authors are specifically devoted to the following topics, addressing both the stem cell transplant recipient and the hematologic malignancy patient: Chemotherapy Regimens for Hematologic Malignancies and Issues That Affect Infection; Stem Cell Transplantation Technical Issues That Affect Infection in The Recipient; Complications of Stem Cell Transplantation That Cause Infections; Antimicrobial Prophylaxis and Preemptive Agents and Regimens for the Prevention of Infection; Workup for Fever During Neutropenia; Herpesvirus Infections; Cytomegalovirus Infections; Respiratory Virus Infections; Other DNA Virus Infections; Bacterial Infections; Fungal Infections; Parasitic Infections; Vaccination; and Immunoglobulin Replacement. Readers will come away with the latest information they need to manage infections and improve outcomes in these patients.

While advances in both the treatment of cancer and the management of its complications have led to significant improvement in patient survival, infections remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with neo plastic disease. In this patient population, infection risk results from a complex interplay between the host’s underlying immunodeficiencies, local tumor effects and treatment-induced immunosuppression. New chemotherapeutic approaches and antimicrobial prophylaxis and treatment practices continue to shape the spectrum of infections in these patients. Clinicians who treat infections in cancer patients are continually challenged by the emergence of new pathogens and by the increasing antimicrobial resistance of established ones. The aim of this book is to emphasize unique aspects of management of infectious diseases in the cancer patient. With the increasing complexity of this patient population, optimal management requires a multidisciplinary approach and this fact is fully reflected in the contributions, all from recognized authorities in the field. Ultimately, it is hoped that this volume will assist specialists in infectious diseases and haematology/oncology in the diagnosis, management and prevention of infection and optimization of the overall care of patients with malignancies.

Infection in the cancer patient is extremely common, either precipitated by the cancer itself or by the cancer therapies. Virtually all cancer patients develop an infection during their illness, often life-threatening and requiring urgent treatment. This book decribes the presentation and management of all infections met by the clinician.

This book explores a range of infections in hematology. It draws on extensive clinical experience and the results of modern research, and identifies new directions in this area of clinical medicine. It is known that, along with progress in medicine, the evolution of microbes also occurs, with resistance to antibiotics growing and new forms of infectious diseases emerging. As such, the findings of this book are particularly timely.