Protocolo diagnóstico y tratamiento del síndrome febril en el paciente oncológico

The major causes of fever in cancer patients include infection, tumor (paraneoplastic fever), drugs (allergic or hypersensitivity reactions), blood product transfusion, graft-versus-host disease and thrombosis. Other less common causes include malignant bowel syndrome, tumor embolization, CNS hemorrhage, and coexisting connective tissue disorders. Infection is a particularly important cause in the neutropenic patient, given its high frequency (almost two-thirds of patients with chemotherapy) and potentially fatal outcome. Effective strategies to prevent and manage infectious complications in neutropenic cancer patients are very important, especially when the treatment intention is to cure or prolong survival. For febrile neutropenic patients, immediate initiation of broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment is imperative. In this setting, an evaluation for risk-factors for infection-related complications or poor clinical outcome is necessary to consider myeloid growth factors use.