Pediatric Fever And Neutropenia: An Evidence-Based Approach
A complete blood cell count (CBC) is often ordered by emergency department (ED) staff in an effort to better define a disease process
or assign risk to a patient`s illness. The ED clinician must be prepared
to manage the CBC results even when they are abnormal or not easily explained. One of the most worrisome abnormal findings in children is pediatric neutropenia, defined as an absolute neutrophil
count (ANC) less than 1500/µL. Neutropenia can represent an increased risk for invasive disease and have an etiology that is not always readily apparent, especially when accompanied by a fever.
