Outpatient management of fever in neutropenic patients

Standard management of the febrile neutropenic patient consists of the administration of broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents after appropriate evaluation. This is generally done within the confines of a hospital ward in order to maximize supportive care, and to detect and deal with complications such as septic shock or superinfection as promptly as possible. Not all febrile neutropenic patients have the same risk for developing complications. Recently, developed risk assessment strategies can help identify 'low-risk' patients at the onset of febrile episodes. These low-risk patients can be treated in the outpatient setting using parenteral, sequential, or oral antimicrobial regimens, resulting in a dramatic reduction in the cost of therapy, better resource utilization, and greater patient satisfaction as a result of an enhanced quality of life.