Effects of granulocyte colony stimulating factor on white blood cell count and nosocomial infection in malignant tumor patients after chemotherapy

Objective To explore the effects of granulocyte colony stimulating factor on the change of white blood cell count and nosocomial infection in malignant tumor patients after chemotherapy.Methods The malignant tumor patients whose white blood cells decreases after their first chemotherapy were selected.They were treated preventively or remedially with granulocyte colony stimulating factor at the second and third cycle.The changes of white blood cell count and nosocomial infection in the patients were observed.Results In the 214 patients selected,there was decrease in white blood cell count in 103 of them(an incidence rate of 48.1%),the rate of nosocomial infection was 15.9%.Both preventive and remedial use of granulocyte colony stimulating factor could reduce the duration and extent of decrease in white blood cell count,and with the former more effective than the latter;both methods could reduce greatly the rate of nosocomial infection in the patients with a low white blood cell count of degreeⅡ and Ⅲ,while no obvious effects on patients with low white blood cell count of degreeⅠand Ⅳ were observed.Conclusions The nosocomial infection in tumor patients is closely related to the degree of decrease in white blood cell count;appropriate use of granulocyte colony stimulating factor can reduce the supression of marrow and nosocomial infection,and help the chemotherapy to be finished successfully.