title: Improving the Management of Patients With Low-Risk Neutropenic Fever at the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute.
abstract: Neutropenic fever (NF) is an oncologic emergency and has resulted historically in inpatient management. The Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) score can be used to identify patients with NF at a low risk of complications who can be managed safely as outpatients. Despite established guidelines supporting outpatient management of low-risk neutropenic fever (LRNF), provider awareness is low, and inpatient admission for intravenous antibiotics continues to be standard of care.
  
  
  
  Inpatient provider algorithm implementation and education began in the second quarter of 2014. Providers calculated MASCC scores for patients with nonleukemia hematologic malignancies and solid tumors at admission. Data were collected in a prospectively maintained registry. Patients identified as low risk by MASCC score were placed under observation and started on oral antibiotics. If exclusion criteria and social barriers were not identified, discharge within 48 hours was planned.
  
  
  
  Eighty-three patients with NF were admitted to the Taussig Cancer Institute inpatient oncology unit between November 2014 and June 2015. Fifty-three patients (64%) had LRNF by MASCC score. Patients with LRNF had an average length of stay of 3.3 days, compared with 6.2 days in our historical cohort. Sixteen patients (30%) were discharged within 24 hours. Only two patients with LRNF had a culture-proven infection, both Enterococcus urinary tract infections. Three patients required nonelective readmission. There were no deaths caused by NF.
  
  
  
  This pilot study demonstrates that a formal algorithm for LRNF management combined with provider education can improve current inpatient standard of care and length of stay without an increase in morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.
authors.forename: Lindsey Martin
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Goodman
authors.affiliation: Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.
authors.forename: Bassam
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Estfan
authors.affiliation: Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Montero
authors.affiliation: Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.
authors.forename: Girish
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kunapareddy
authors.affiliation: Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.affiliation: Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gallagher
authors.affiliation: Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Best
authors.affiliation: Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.
authors.forename: Barb
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tripp
authors.affiliation: Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.
authors.forename: Machelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moeller
authors.affiliation: Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bolwell
authors.affiliation: Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stevenson
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000628:therapy*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D018570:Risk Assessment