Neutropenia

• When the neutrophil count in 1000 and 1500 per microliter
• Most common cause is iatrogenic (related to use of immunosuppressive and chemotherapeutic therapy)
• Diagnostic studies

  • WBC count
  • bone marrow aspiration or biopsy
• Clinical manifestations are not classic signs of inflammation like redness, hear and swelling, no pus formation
• Minor infections can quickly turn systemic or septic, a low grade fever is significant
• Nursing management:

  • determine cause of neutropenia
  • identify offending organisms when infection
  • prophylaptic or therapeutic antibiotic therapy
  • administer hematipoietic growth factors
  • institute protective isolation practices (handwashing, visitor restriction, PPE)