Consensus guidelines for patient and carer education on neutropenic fever

Sophie Jessop; Emily Harding; Sophie Beaumont; Joanne Hickman; Trish Joyce; Lynette Chee; Shevon Fernando; Nan Vasilunas; Stephen Luen; Peter Boan; Sheree Westthorp; Karlie James; Matthew Wheeler; Andrea Casey; Olivia C Smibert; Australasian Neutropenic Fever Guidelines Steering Committee

doi:10.1111/imj.70252

Consensus guidelines for patient and carer education on neutropenic fever

Intern Med J. 2025 Dec:55 Suppl 7:136-152. doi: 10.1111/imj.70252.

Authors

Sophie Jessop^{1

2}, Emily Harding³, Sophie Beaumont^{4

5}, Joanne Hickman⁶, Trish Joyce⁷, Lynette Chee^{8

9}, Shevon Fernando¹⁰, Nan Vasilunas¹¹, Stephen Luen^{12

13}, Peter Boan^{14

15}, Sheree Westthorp¹, Karlie James¹⁶, Matthew Wheeler^{17

18}, Andrea Casey¹⁹, Olivia C Smibert^{13

20

21}; Australasian Neutropenic Fever Guidelines Steering Committee

Affiliations

¹ Michael Rice Department of Haematology and Oncology, Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
² Children's Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
³ Pharmacy Department, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁴ Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Department of Dental Oncology, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁵ Melbourne Dental School, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁶ Patient Experience and Wellbeing, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁷ Department of Clinical Haematology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁸ Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁹ Department of Clinical Haematology, The Royal Melbourne Hospital and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
¹⁰ Pharmacy Department, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
¹¹ Department of Infectious Diseases, Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
¹² Department of Medical Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
¹³ Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
¹⁴ Department of Infectious Diseases, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
¹⁵ Department of Microbiology, Fiona Stanley Hospital, PathWest Laboratory Medicine, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
¹⁶ Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
¹⁷ Tauranga Hospital, Te Whatu ora-Hauora a Toi, Tauranga, New Zealand.
¹⁸ University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
¹⁹ Aboriginal Health Unit, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
²⁰ Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Austin Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
²¹ National Centre for Infections in Cancer, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

PMID: 41521416
DOI: 10.1111/imj.70252

Abstract

Neutropenic fever is a common complication of haematology and oncology treatments and is associated with a significant risk of morbidity and mortality. Few studies report patients' and carers' understanding of neutropenic fever, including risk reduction, recognition and optimal management. This guideline aims to improve communication around prevention, recognition and management strategies for neutropenic fever in patients receiving cancer treatment. Medical specialists, allied health physicians, other key stakeholders, parents and carers, and patient consumers collaborated to develop guidelines for patients and carers on neutropenic fever. This addition to the 2024 Australasian Consensus Guidelines for the Management of Neutropenic Fever in Patients with Cancer is the first directed at healthcare workers treating paediatric and adult patients at risk of neutropenic fever.

Keywords: education; fever; neutropenia; prevention; prophylaxis.

Publication types

Practice Guideline

MeSH terms

Antineoplastic Agents / adverse effects
Caregivers* / education
Fever* / diagnosis
Fever* / etiology
Fever* / therapy
Humans
Neoplasms / drug therapy
Neutropenia* / chemically induced
Neutropenia* / diagnosis
Neutropenia* / therapy
Patient Education as Topic* / methods
Patient Education as Topic* / standards

Substances

Antineoplastic Agents