Febrile neutropenia

Febrile neutropenia is a fever occurring in a person with a dangerously low count of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell, and it is most often a complication of cancer treatment. It affects people receiving anticancer therapy, especially systemic chemotherapy, which can suppress the ability of the bone marrow to respond to infection; radiotherapy can have the same effect. Neutrophil counts fall to their lowest at certain points in each chemotherapy cycle, and stress, poor nutrition and lack of sleep can weaken immunity further. Fever may come with chills, cough, sore throat, diarrhoea, rash, mouth sores or urinary symptoms, and the underlying infection can be life-threatening. Blood tests confirm neutropenia, and the fever calls for urgent hospital assessment. Management centres on prompt intravenous antibiotics, with risk assessment guiding inpatient or outpatient care, while growth factors may be used to raise white cell counts.

Seek urgent care for unusual bleeding or bruising, breathlessness at rest, or a swollen painful leg. See a doctor for persistent tiredness, pale skin, or any symptom of anaemia in a man or a woman after the menopause, which always needs a cause to be found. Call the local emergency number for any symptom that is sudden and severe. This page is a reference for healthcare professionals and does not replace an assessment.