Neutropenia

Etiology / Pathophysiology

• Chemotherapy, bone marrow disease, severe infection, medications, or immune causes can lower neutrophil count.
• Low neutrophils reduce bacterial and fungal defense, so infection can progress with few local signs.

Medications

No specific medication class was seeded for this card.

Signs / symptoms

• Fever with neutropenia is an emergency.
• Low WBC may mean muted infection signs.
• No fresh flowers/raw foods if policy teaches neutropenic precautions.

Nursing actions

• Treat fever as priority and follow neutropenic fever protocol.
• Use hand hygiene, avoid sick contacts and unsafe foods per policy, and monitor oral/skin/perineal sites.
• Check ANC trends and teach when to call for temperature or chills.

Complications

• Sepsis
• Pneumonia
• Mucositis infection
• Delayed wound healing

NCLEX cues

• Fever with neutropenia is an emergency.
• Low WBC may mean muted infection signs.
• No fresh flowers/raw foods if policy teaches neutropenic precautions.

Memory hooks

• No neutrophils means infection hides.

Labs / Diagnostics

• CBC with differential
• ANC
• Cultures if febrile
• Vital signs

Review notes

• Supplemental wife-requested study card. Use for NCLEX review only and verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy.