A randomised controlled trial of short-course antibiotics in children with cancer and febrile neutropenia

Summary Fever and neutropenia (FN) is one of the most common complications of childhood cancer and a leading cause of unplanned hospital admission. This project is a randomised trial of short-course antibiotics, compared to standard of care, that aims to address key gaps in our understanding of the treatment of FN.

Project Details

Fever and neutropenia (FN) is one of the most common complications of childhood cancer and a leading cause of unplanned hospital admission. Despite advancements in FN risk stratification and home-based care pathways in Australia, there has been little change in the duration of antibiotics administered to children with cancer typically considered high-risk for infection. Local data indicates that many of these children may receive up to two or three weeks of antibiotics, even in the absence of a documented infection. Robust data on the efficacy, safety and acceptability of shorter course antibiotics are urgently required to inform national and international guidelines and improve FN treatment for children with cancer.

The aim of this project is to address key gaps in our understanding of treatment of FN in higher-risk population. A randomised trial of short course antibiotics, compared to standard of care, will form the foundation of the project. A unique aspect of this trial is that it will be embedded into the electronic medical record, which will assist in patient recruitment, randomisation and data collection. Additional components may include qualitative research to understand the factors that influence existing prescribing patterns and the impact of these on patient’s health related quality of life and costs of care.

The successful candidate will be based in the Infection & Immunity theme at MCRI and will be supported by a multidisciplinary team of researchers on the Melbourne Children’s Campus. There is some flexibility regarding the focus of the project, and the successful candidate will have some room to design aspects of their own project. A PhD scholarship is available for the successful candidate to pursue this project. Candidates will be expected to apply for other competitive external scholarships.