Introduction: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous hematological malignancy characterized by the clonal expansion of myeloid blasts in the bone marrow, peripheral blood, and/or other organs. Infectious complications are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Induction chemotherapy is associated with severe infections, while neutropenia is often a present risk. Aim of the study: To investigate the average age, gender distribution, type and frequency of infections, as well as the overall mortality from infections in AML patients during the first induction therapy. To determine the association between age, gender, presence of diabetes mellitus, leukocyte count, platelet count, hemoglobin levels, percentage of bone marrow blasts, achieved remission, and outcomes with the occurrence of infections. Materials and methods: A retrospective study conducted over a three-year period included 36 patients diagnosed with AML who received the first induction therapy according to the “3+7” protocol. Data were collected from the Clinical Information System of the University Clinical Center of Vojvodina and analyzed using statistical methods. Results: Infectious complications occurred in 86% of patients during the first induction therapy. The most common complications were febrile neutropenia (38.7%), pneumonia (14.5%), and pulmonary aspergillosis (14.5%). No statistically significant differences were found in age, gender, presence of diabetes mellitus, hemoglobin levels, leukocyte and platelet counts, or the percentage of blasts before the start of therapy between patients with and without infections. The overall mortality at the end of the follow-up period was 3%. Conclusion: Febrile neutropenia is the most common infectious complication during the first induction therapy in AML patients, with pneumonia and pulmonary aspergillosis also being significantly present. No significant association was found between the analyzed clinical and laboratory parameters and the occurrence of infections. Overall mortality is relatively low, but infectious complications remain a key challenge in the treatment of AML.

Uvod: Akutna mijeloidna leukemija (AML) je heterogenic hematološki malignitet koji se karakteriše klonskom ekspanzijom mijeloidnih blasta u kosnoj srži, perifernoj krvi i/ili drugim organima. Infektivne komplikacije su značajan uzrok morbiditeta i mortaliteta. Indukciona hemoterapije je povezana sa teškim infekcijama, dok je neutropenija često prisutan rizik. Cilj rada: Istražiti prosečnu starost, polnu distribuciju, vrstu i učestalost infekcija, kao i ukupnu smrtnost od infekcija kod pacijenata sa AML tokom prve indukcione terapije. Utvrditi povezanost između starosti, pola, prisustva šećerne bolesti, broja leukocita, broja trombocita, vrednosti hemoglobina, procenta blasta u koštanoj srži, postignute remisije i ishoda sa pojavom infekcija. Materijali imetode: Retrospektivno istraživanje sprovedeno u trogodišnjem periodu obuhvatilo je 36 pacijenata sa dijagnostikovanom AML koji su primili prvu indukcionu terapiju po protokolu „3+7“. Prikupljeni supodaci iz Kliničkog informativnog sistema univerzitetskog kliničkog centra Vojvodine i analizirani statističkim metodama. Rezultati: Infektivne komplikacije su se pojavile kod 86% pacijenata tokom prve indukcione terapije. Najčešće komplikacije su bile febrilna neutropenija (38.7%), pneumonija (14.5%) i plućna aspergiloza (14.5%). Statistički značajne razlike nisu nađene u starosti, polu, prisustvu šećerne bolesti, vrednostima hemoglobina, broju leukocita i trombocita, niti procentu blasta pre započinjanja terapije između pacijenata sa i bez infekcija. Ukupna smrtnost na kraju perioda praćenja iznosila je 3%. Zaključak: Febrilna neutropenija je najčešća infektivna komplikacija tokom prve indukcione terapije kod pacijenata sa AML, a pneumonija i plućna aspergiloza su takođe značajno prisutne. Nije utvrđena značajna povezanost između analiziranih kliničkih i laboratorijskih parametara i pojave infekcija. Ukupna smrtnost je relativno niska, ali infektivne komplikacije ostaju ključan izazov u lečenju AML.