Increased dose intensity and a better long term survival can not be reached in pediatric oncology without the judicious use of antibiotics. During periods with profound neutropenia and between intensive chemotherapy cycles are bacterial infections capable of disturbing the patients' quality of life; they may cause an acute life threatening situation and lead to a substantial increase in expenditures and consumption of ressources in supportive care. The non-judicious use of antibacterials may face the patient to an increased risk of adverse events and fosters the selection of resistant bacteria. This article provides the recommendations of the Infectious Diseases Working Party of the German Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases (DGPI) and the German Society for Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (GPOH) for antibacterial therapy in pediatric oncology patients based upon the available literature and the clinical experience of the authors.
