RT Journal
A1 Alario AJ, O'Shea JS
T1 RIsk of infectious complications in well-appearing children with transient neutropenia
JF American Journal of Diseases of Children
JO American Journal of Diseases of Children
YR 1989
FD August 1
VO 143
IS 8
SP 973
OP 976
DO 10.1001/archpedi.1989.02150200135033
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archpedi.1989.02150200135033
AB • To determine whether well-appearing children found incidentally to be neutropenic are at risk for an infectious complication, 44 consecutive months of hematology laboratory records were reviewed. One hundred nineteen patients had medical record documentation regarding clinical course, serial white blood cell counts, and the absence of serious infections, chronic illnesses, or a family history known to be associated with neutropenia. The median duration of documented neutropenia was 13 days (range, 1 to 491 days). Infectious complications occurred in 4 of the 36 patients who had neutropenia for more than 30 days (2 with stomatitis, 1 with cellulitis, and 1 with pneumonia) but in none with shorter durations of neutropenia. There were no significant associations between the development of an infectious complication and either the initial absolute neutrophil count or the lowest documented absolute neutrophil count, nor was there a correlation between the initial absolute neutrophil count and the duration of neutropenia. These data indicate that infectious complications occur in otherwise well children with unexplained neutropenia that persists, but these infections are infrequent and usually are superficial.(AJDC. 1989;143:973-976)