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. 1974 Jul 20;3(5924):160–161. doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5924.160

Fever in the Neutropenic Patient

K Atkinson, H E M Kay, T J McElwain
PMCID: PMC1611269  PMID: 4843653

Abstract

A total of 100 consecutive episodes of fever of 101° F (38·3°C) or above in 56 neutropenic patients have been investigated. All the patients had either acute leukaemia or aplastic anaemia. A cause for the fever was found in 68 of these episodes, in 87% of which it was due to infection. The commonest single finding was septicaemia (30 episodes). Only two episodes of fever could be ascribed solely to the underlying malignant disease.

Infection should be assumed to be present and the cause of fever in neutropenic patients until proved otherwise.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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