Febrile neutropenia in pediatric oncology patients managed in a tertiary hospital in Honduras
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61997/bjm.v14i2.472Keywords:
Febrile neutropenia, Neutrophils, Neoplasms, PediatricsAbstract
Background: Febrile neutropenia is defined as the presence of fever during a neutropenic episode (defined as a neutrophils count <500 cells/mm3). Objective: To characterize the pediatric oncology patient with febrile neutropenia managed in a tertiary hospital in Honduras. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out in the Pediatric Hemato-Oncology Ward, of Hospital Escuela, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, from January to December, 2021. A total of 84 pediatric cancer patients treated for febrile neutropenia during the study period were included. For the analysis, descriptive statistics were used. Results: The mean age was 9.1 years (SD 5.1; range 1 month-18 years); males predominated 64.3% (54/84). According to neutrophil count, 51.2% (43/84) had severe neutropenia and 14.3% (12/84) had very severe neutropenia. All patients had a history of fever, and the main risk factors were transfusions (59.5%; 50/84) and chemotherapy (57.1%; 48/84). One patient died (1.2%). Conclusion: The characteristics of pediatric oncology patients treated for febrile neutropenia, specifically severe or very severe, according to neutrophil count on admission, are similar to those reported in the literature; however, mortality was low.
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