Multiday corticosteroids in cancer chemotherapy delay the diagnosis of and antimicrobial administration for febrile neutropenia: a double-center retrospective study

Table 2 Variation in body temperature and time to antimicrobial administration

Duration of corticosteroid use	TBRE	TABE	TABR
Duration of corticosteroid use	day	day	day
Multiday^a (n = 41)	1.51(0–3.67)	1.70(0–4.11)	0.30(− 0.59–0.91)
Non-multiday^b (n = 172)	0.87(0–3.43)	1.10(0–3.97)	0.22(− 0.66–0.89)
P ^c	0.002	< 0.001	0.41

Values are median (range)
^a The multiday group included patients who were administered corticosteroid every day from the initiation of chemotherapy to onset of FN irrespective of its dosage
^b The non-multiday group included patients who were administered corticosteroid without every day from the initiation of chemotherapy to onset of FN irrespective of its dosage
^c Mann-Whitney U test
TBRE: the time to body temperature reaching 37.5 °C from the time when body temperature exceeded the baseline temperature
TABE: the time to antimicrobial administration from the time when body temperature exceeded the baseline temperature
TABR: the time to antimicrobial administration from the time when body temperature reached 37.5 °C
Baseline temperature: the highest body temperature during 7 days before the initiation of chemotherapy in each patient

ISSN: 2055-0294