Management of neutropenic fever in a private hospital oncology unit

Abstract

AIM: Febrile neutropenia is a medical emergency, which poses a significant morbidity and mortality risk to cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. National guidelines recommend that patients presenting with suspected febrile neutropenia receive appropriate intravenous antibiotics within 60 min of admission. We aimed to investigate the management of febrile neutropenia in a large private oncology centre. METHOD: A retrospective audit of all patients who presented to St John of God Hospital, Subiaco in the 2017 calendar year, with a known solid organ malignancy and a recorded diagnosis of febrile neutropenia. Patients were identified through the hospitals Patient Administration System and ICD-..