Why empirical therapy?

Abstract

Why empirical therapy? Because it works! Empirical antimicrobial therapy is a reasonable, pragmatic approach to limit the ominous threat of Gram-negative sepsis in febrile neutropenic cancer patients. Empirical treatment of occult fungal infection in patients with neutropenia and persistent fever, in spite of initial broad-spectrum antimicrobial coverage, is effective but the role of pre-emptive treatment remains to be established. © The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.