Febrile neutropenia (patient information)
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Febrile Neutropenia |
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Febrile neutropenia (patient information) On the Web |
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Directions to Hospitals Treating Febrile neutropenia (patient information) |
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Risk calculators and risk factors for Febrile neutropenia (patient information) |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
This is a condition when a patient has a fever and when neutrophils in the blood are too low. A neutrophil is a type of white blood cell that helps fight infection. Having too few neutrophils increases the risk of infection. You should monitor your body temperature and other symptoms of infection. If you have a fever of 100.4°F or higher, you should go to the emergency room immediately.
Your diagnosis, stage, treatment, treatment response and certain patient characteristics are considered by your doctor when assessing risk of febrile neutropenia. A neutropenic fever is most often seen as a complication of chemotherapy, when the treatment suppresses the bone marrow (does not allow the bone marrow to make enough cells). Antibiotics are used to treat this, however, as more chemotherapy combinations are developed, new antibiotics are used and new infection risks are found. Treatment with an antifungal prophylactic may also be used. You may be treated in a hospital or as an outpatient in a doctor’s office.
According to the current American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) guidelines, interventions such as footwear exchange, protected environments, respiratory or surgical masks, nutritional supplements and a “neutropenic” diet are not recommended to be followed since research has shown that there is lack of benefit to patients.
It is important to have a written/electronic febrile neutropenia management plan available if you are at risk and to make it easier to advocate for care in emergency situations. Talk to your doctor and find out if you are at risk and if having a management plan is important for you.