Neutropenic enterocolitis (NEC) is a life-threatening complication of leukemic and solid tumors patients (pts) treated with chemotherapy (CHT) with high mortality rate up to 50-100%. Perforation occurs in 5%-10% of cases. Early diagnosis is crucial to start conservative medical management (CMM), which appears the optimal strategy for most cases. NEC should be always suspected in Neutropenic pts with abdominal pain, fever and diarrhea. Ultrasound (US) can be used to evaluate bowel-wall thickening (BWT). The objective of this study is to evaluate prospectively if US can detect early signs of NEC and guide a prompt treatment (CMM or surgical) and thus reduce mortality.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
1,740
Bed side Ultrasound in Neutropenic patients within 12 h from onset of any symptom such as fever and/or abdominal pain and/or diarreha
Hematology Unit, Santa Chiara Hospital University of Pisa
Pisa, Italy
to verify the hypothesis that US could detect early signs of NEC, guide a prompt treatment eventually reducing mortality
Bed side Ultrasound sonography assessment of bowel in neutropenic patients with fever and/or abdominal pain and/or diarrhea
Time frame: from March 2007 to January 2018
to correlate patient's symptoms with outcome
Statistical correlation of symptoms with outcome
Time frame: from March 2007 to January 2018
to verify if bowel wall thickening (BWT) is pathognomonic of neutropenic enterocolitis
Comparison of bowel wall thickness in patients with diagnosis of neutropenic enterocolitis and in the control group (NEC negative group)
Time frame: from March 2007 to January 2018
to find which symptom or symptoms have a higher relative risk (RR) for NEC diagnosis
Statistical analysis of symptoms in the NEC group at diagnosis
Time frame: from March 2007 to January 2018
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