Abstract

A complete blood cell count (CBC) is often ordered by emergency department (ED) staff in an effort to better define a disease process or assign risk to a patient’s illness. The ED clinician must be prepared to manage the CBC results even when they are abnormal or not easily explained. One of the most worrisome abnormal findings in children is pediatric neutropenia, defined as an absolute neutrophil count (ANC) less than 1500/μL. Neutropenia can represent an increased risk for invasive disease and have an etiology that is not always readily apparent, especially when accompanied by a fever. This issue of Pediatric Emergency Medicine Practice focuses on the challenge of evaluating and treating the pediatric patient who presents with a fever and neutropenia. A discussion of chemotherapy- induced neutropenia is included in the Special Circumstances section at the end of the article.