Haematologica has published European guidelines for empirical and targeted antibacterial therapy forfebrile neutropenic patients in the era of emerging resistance (ECIL-4). Indeed, collateral damage by broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy includes selection of multidrugresistant pathogens, and increased predisposition to infec-tion by fungi and Clostridium difficile. Antibiotic resistance has become a major public health concern, with fears expressed that we will soon run out of antibiotics. Haematologica December 2013 98: 1821-1825; doi:10.3324/haematol.2013.091769