title: The outcome of febrile neutropenic episodes in paediatric oncology at the Wendy Fitzwilliam Paediatric Hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the incidence, presentation, treatment and outcome of febrile neutropenic episodes of patients treated at the Wendy Fitzwilliam Paediatric Hospital (WFPH) in Trinidad and Tobago.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a retrospective cohort method, the records of all the patients registered at the Paediatric Oncology Unit at The WFPH, receiving chemotherapy for haematological or solid tumour malignancies from May 2001 to April 2008 and having episodes of febrile neutropenia were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy one episodes of febrile neutropenia were analysed from the 36 patient records. Episode frequency ranged from 1 to 5. The mean duration of febrile neutropenic episodes was 5.01 days (+/- SD 5.2), with range from 1-25 days. Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) accounted for 43.7%. The mean WBC for the study population was 0.88 x 10(9)/L (+/- SD 0.61), with the mean absolute neutrophil count (ANC) at 0.16 x 10(9)/L (+/- SD 0.23). Antifungal therapy was used in 6 cases and the incidence of blood culture positive sepsis was 8.5%. Complete resolution occurred in 65 episodes
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Febrile neutropenia episodes treated at the WFPH have a very favourable outcome (91.5%). The further analysis of the relationships found in this study between the total white blood cell count at presentation and the duration of antimicrobial therapy, the duration of the febrile neutropenic episodes and outcome is needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mount Hope, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Timothy
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bodkyn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents