The role of levofloxacin prophylaxis during induction therapy for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in a tertiary care centre

Abstract

Background: Levofloxacin prophylaxis prevents infections in children undergoing acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treatment, particularly during the induction therapy phase when patients are highly immunocompromised. The antibiotic levofloxacin has been considered as a preventive measure to reduce these risks in a controlled healthcare setting. This study aimed to evaluate the role of prophylactic Levofloxacin among these pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients and compare the outcome. Methods: This quasi-randomized clinical trial was conducted over 12 months at the Department of Pediatric Hematology & Oncology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU). In this study, participants were randomly assigned into two equal groups of 40 patients each. Group A received levofloxacin as prophylaxis, whereas Group B did not. The outcome measures included assessments of various types of neutropenia, febrile neutropenia, clinically documented infections, microbiologically documented infections, and drug-related events. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 23.0. Results: Group A showed a marked reduction in fever during the first, third, fourth, and fifth treatment weeks (p