neutropenic fever
Pronunciation: NEW-troh-pee-nik FEE-ver
Fever occurring in a patient with dangerously low neutrophil counts, representing a medical emergency requiring immediate antibiotic treatment.
Full Definition
Neutropenic fever is defined as a single oral temperature ≥38.3°C (101°F) or a temperature ≥38.0°C (100.4°F) sustained for one hour in a patient with an absolute neutrophil count <500 cells/μL or expected to fall below 500 cells/μL within 48 hours. This condition is most commonly seen in pediatric oncology patients receiving chemotherapy, but can also occur in children with primary immunodeficiencies or those receiving immunosuppressive medications. It represents a true medical emergency as these patients have severely compromised ability to fight infections. The condition requires immediate broad-spectrum antibiotic coverage and often hospitalization.
Usage
Usage note: Critical to distinguish from general fever in immunocompromised patients; specific neutrophil count criteria must be met.
In Context
- "The patient developed neutropenic fever on day 7 of chemotherapy and was started on empiric cefepime." — Oncology progress note
- "Given her history of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, any fever during treatment constitutes neutropenic fever until proven otherwise." — Emergency department evaluation