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In people with cancer who have febrile neutropenia (excluding patients with acute leukaemia), oral treatment is an acceptable alternative to intravenous antibiotic treatment if they are hemodynamically stable, without organ failure, without pneumonia and with no infection of a central line or severe soft-tissue infection. [11]
Neutropenia fever can complicate the treatment of cancers. Observations of children noted that fungal infections are more likely to develop in those with neutropenia. Mortality increases during cancer treatments if neutropenia is also present. [6]
The most common adverse reactions include chills, fever, fatigue, tachycardia (abnormally fast heart rate), diarrhea, febrile neutropenia (fever associated with a low level of certain white blood cells), edema (swelling due to buildup of fluid in body tissues), rash, hypotension, hair loss, infection, hypoxia (abnormally low oxygen levels in the body) and feeling short of breath.
The use of these agents should be considered in individuals exposed to doses above 1.5 Gy, should be given to those who develop fever and neutropenia and should be administered within 48 hours of exposure. An estimation of the exposure dose should be done by biological dosimetry whenever possible and by detailed history of exposure.
If a fever develops in the neutropenic period, urgent medical assessment is required for neutropenic sepsis, as infections in patients with low neutrophil counts may progress rapidly. Allopurinol is typically co-administered prophylactically to prevent hyperuricemia that results from tumor lysis syndrome , the result of rapid death of tumor cells.
The treatment of established or suspected infection following exposure to radiation (characterized by neutropenia and fever) is similar to the one used for other febrile neutropenic patients. However, important differences between the two conditions exist.
Dr. A. Thomas McLellan, the co-founder of the Treatment Research Institute, echoed that point. “Here’s the problem,” he said. Treatment methods were determined “before anybody really understood the science of addiction. We started off with the wrong model.” For families, the result can be frustrating and an expensive failure.
The treatment typically includes corticosteroids or G-CSF, often in combination. Donors may experience minor side effects from steroid and G-CSF treatment, including headaches, bone and joint pain, insomnia and fatigue. [1] The donor blood undergoes leukapheresis, a process by which white blood cells are separated from red blood cells and plasma.