Salmonellosis in children with cancer: review of 42 cases
R. Novak and S. Feldman
Forty-two episodes of culture-proved salmonellosis were found
retrospectively among 2,262 patients treated for malignant diseases at St
Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis. These cases were reviewed in an
effort to determine whether Salmonella infections in childhood cancer
patients are associated with an increased frequency of septicemia and
death, as has been reported for adults with cancer. Septicemia occurred in
only 10% of the patients studied, consistent with the frequency established
in general populations. There were no deaths attributable to Salmonella
infection. Most of the patients (57%) with salmonellosis had
gastroenteritis, and the clinical course of this syndrome was no more
severe or prolonged than that seen in otherwise normal children. We
recommend that management of Salmonella infections in children with cancer
follow presently accepted guidelines for normal hosts.
