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Bacteriemia due to coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) resistant to methicillin and sensitive only to glycopeptides in 220 cancer patients was prospectively analyzed for risk factors and outcome. A group of 33 cases of bacteriemia with CNS-sensitive only to glycopeptides was compared with a group of 187 cases with CNS sensitive to methicillin. All cases appeared in two affiliated major cancer institutes in Bratislava with the same antibiotic policy. Univariate analysis showed differences in recorded risk factors: acute leukemia (48 vs. 33%, P < 0.05), neutropenia (57 vs. 32%, P < 0.045), previous prophylaxis with quinolones (30 vs. 11%, P < 0.01) and penicillin-V (15 vs. 3%, P < 0.02) and previous colonisation with CNS (27 vs. 3%, P < 0.01) were more frequently associated with bacteriemia resistant to methicillin and sensitive only to glycopeptides. Attributable mortality was also higher in this subgroup in comparison to bacteriemias with CNS sensitive to methicillin (12 vs. 3%, P < 0.05) however, overall mortality was similar. Bacteriemias due to CNS caused by sensitivity only to glycopeptides occurred more frequently in neutropenic patients (1), with acute leukemia (2), receiving quinolone and penicillin prophylaxis (3), and previously colonized (4), patients and had worse prognosis in comparison to those with methicillin-sensitive staphylococcal bacteriemias.

26 patients with fungemia and cancer treated with chemotherapy (group A) were compared to 25 patients with fungemia and cancer treated with surgery (group B), to assess differences in etiology, risk factors and outcome. Candida albicans was responsible for 42% of fungemias in group A, and for 92% of fungemias in group B (p < 0.005). Breakthrough fungemia occurring during antifungal prophylaxis appeared in 46.6% of group A vs 12% of group B (p < 0.02). There was significant difference in outcome between the groups: 20% of patients after surgery vs 7.7% of those after chemotherapy died from fungemia (p < 0.04). Most common risk factors recorded in both groups were catheter insertion and previous therapy with broad spectrum antibiotics.