Skip to main content
Journal of Clinical Pathology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Pathology
. 1993 Dec;46(12):1124–1125. doi: 10.1136/jcp.46.12.1124

Antimicrobial activity of cytotoxic drugs may influence isolation of bacteria and fungi from blood cultures.

V Peiris 1, B A Oppenheim 1
PMCID: PMC501725  PMID: 8282838

Abstract

The potential antimicrobial activity of cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and adriamycin against Gram positive and negative bacteria and Candida albicans was examined. The time taken for different microbial inocula to turn a simulated blood culture positive in the presence of different concentrations of these drugs was measured. Doxorubicin retarded the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Streptococcus sanguis in a concentration dependent manner. Cyclophosphamide and vincristine showed minimal antimicrobial activity. Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were unaffected by any of the drugs. An inoculum dependent effect was seen with some combinations of microbial inocula and cytotoxic drug concentrations.

Full text

PDF
1125

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bodet C. A., 3rd, Jorgensen J. H., Drutz D. J. Antibacterial activities of antineoplastic agents. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1985 Sep;28(3):437–439. doi: 10.1128/aac.28.3.437. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Burden A. D., Oppenheim B. A., Crowther D., Howell A., Morgenstern G. R., Scarffe J. H., Thatcher N. Viridans streptococcal bacteraemia in patients with haematological and solid malignancies. Eur J Cancer. 1991;27(4):409–411. doi: 10.1016/0277-5379(91)90373-l. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Chan C. C., Oppenheim B. A., Anderson H., Swindell R., Scarffe J. H. Randomized trial comparing ciprofloxacin plus netilmicin versus piperacillin plus netilmicin for empiric treatment of fever in neutropenic patients. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1989 Jan;33(1):87–91. doi: 10.1128/aac.33.1.87. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Hamilton-Miller J. M. Antimicrobial activity of 21 anti-neoplastic agents. Br J Cancer. 1984 Mar;49(3):367–369. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1984.58. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Hopfer R. L., Moore D. G., Fainstein V., Watkins S., Wenglar M. Routine use of BACTEC 16B bottles to remove antibacterial and antitumor agents from blood cultures of cancer patients. J Clin Microbiol. 1983 Oct;18(4):759–764. doi: 10.1128/jcm.18.4.759-764.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Rogers T. R. Investigation of infection in immunocompromised patients. Br J Haematol. 1985 Oct;61(2):195–201. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1985.tb02818.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Pathology are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES