Suspected piperacillin-tazobactam induced nephrotoxicity in the pediatric oncology population

Neutropenic fever is a common complication of myelosuppressive therapy in pediatric oncology patients. Piperacillin-tazobactam (PIP/TAZO) is a broad spectrum antibiotic used for empiric treatment of neutropenic fever. We describe four cases of suspected PIP/TAZO induced nephrotoxicity occurring in children with pediatric malignancies admitted to the hospital and treated for fever±neutropenia. All patients exhibited acute renal injury shortly after PIP/TAZO administration with one of these cases having biopsy evidence of acute interstitial nephritis. These findings are suggestive of PIP/TAZO induced nephrotoxicity in pediatric oncology patients with fever±neutropenia and that PIP/TAZO should be used judiciously in this population.