Febrile Neutropenia

Dr. Marlise Luskin, a hematologist/oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, joins host Walker Redd and case presenter Jakub Glowala to discuss a case of a febrile neutropenia (FN) in a patient with AML. Dr. Luskin first defines neutropenia, then fever, and moves to the chronicity of FN. Using these definitions, Dr. Luskin talks about ways to identify which pathogens are more likely associated with acute vs. chronic FN presentations. They then walk through the standard workup of a patient with FN, talk about which tests/procedures to avoid, and which to later include when fevers do not resolve after empiric treatment.