Risk factors and predictors of adverse outcomes of in paediatric febrile neutropenia

Background: Febrile neutropenia (FN) is the commonest acute complication of cancer treatment in children. The identification of patients at risk for FN as well as adverse outcomes has been described.Aim: To evaluate the prevalence and potential risk factors for FN and describe adverse outcomes in a cohort of children treated for cancer.Setting: The study was carried out in a paediatric oncology unit in a children’s hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.Methods: A retrospective study from 01 January 2017 to 31 December 2019 on children with cancer at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.Results: Two hundred and sixty-seven episodes of FN occurred in 179 patients. Independent predictors of FN were acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) (p = 0.039), acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL) (p = 0.020) and intensive chemotherapy (p ≤ 0.001). Mucositis (p = 0.001), central venous access device (CVAD) placement (p = 0.004), haematologic malignancies (p = 0.040), blood transfusion during FN episode (p 0.001) and severe neutropenia (white cell counts 0.3 × 109 cells/L) (p ≤ 0.001) were risk factors for adverse outcomes. The mortality rate from FN was 3.57%. Independent predictors of adverse outcomes in those with FN were AML (p = 0.001), CVAD placement (p = 0.019) and severe neutropenia (p = 0.005).Conclusion: Treatment related adverse outcomes following chemotherapy-induced FN are likely in children with AML, severe neutropenia and with CVAD placement.Contribution: Adverse outcomes from paediatric febrile neutropenia is high. There is need for clinical decision making aimed at prevention and early identification of individuals at risk.