title: How I diagnose and treat neutropenia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Neutropenia absolute neutrophil count (ANC) less than 1.5 × 10(9)/l is a common hematological finding, and severe neutropenia, that is, ANC less than 0.5 × 10(9)/l is a well known risk factor for susceptibility to bacterial infections. This review provides a succinct clinical approach to the diagnosis and treatment of neutropenia with specific recommendations on the treatment of severe chronic neutropenia with the myeloid growth factor, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Experts agree that patients with acute febrile neutropenia should be treated with antibiotics and that patients at high risk of severe neutropenia (>20% risk) after myelosuppressive chemotherapy should be treated prophylactically with a myeloid growth factor, usually G-CSF. The diversity of causes and consequences of chronic neutropenia make the diagnosis and management of these patients more complicated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The review provides a stepwise approach to neutropenia focusing first on reaching a provisional diagnosis and treatment plan then steps to a final diagnosis. It also provides specific recommendations on the treatment of severe chronic neutropenia with G-CSF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Dale
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*