hematology and oncology
Neutropenia
Key Points
Neutropenia predisposes to bacterial and fungal infections. The risk of infection is proportional to the severity of neutropenia; patients with neutrophil counts<500/mcL (< 0.5 × 109/L) are at greatest risk. Because the inflammatory response is limited, clinical findings may be muted, although fever is usually present. Febrile neutropenic patients are treated empirically with broad-spectrum antibiotics pending definitive identification of infection. Antibiotic prophylaxis may be indicated as a short-term strategy in high-risk patients. 