The effect of IV antibiotics on gut flora during an episode of fever in children with cancer.

Unbalance between aerobic and anaerobic bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract can result in favoring a potentially pathogenic microorganism, which could cause a bacterial infection. For this reason it is important to identify how systemic broad spectrum antibiotics affect the microbiota during febrile neutropenia in pediatric patients with cancer. To investigate our research question, we will collect feces samples from pediatric patients with cancer during febrile neutropenia in the UMCG at two points during treatment. These samples will be analyzed by using pyrosequencing techniques. We hypothesize that the bacterial content of the gut changes when the patient gets systemic intravenous antibiotics.

What is the effect of the systemic antibiotic therapy on the number and diversity of specific bacterial groups in fecal samples of pediatric patients with cancer?

First and last day of treatment with systemic antibiotics.

Collecting fecal samples obtained from feces in commode chair.