Outpatient Management of Fever and Neutropenia in Low-risk Children with Solid Tumors: A Quality Improvement Initiative.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Management of febrile neutropenia in pediatric oncology usually requires inpatient parenteral antibiotics after initial evaluation, but some patients at lower risk of sepsis could be safely managed outpatient. We describe a quality improvement project to increase outpatient management of fever and neutropenia.

Methods

We designed a standardized algorithm for children with a solid tumor diagnosis and low risk for bacteremia. The aim was to achieve outpatient management for at least 80% of eligible patients within 20 months of project initiation. We used plan-do-study-act cycles to improve algorithm compliance, including optimizing medical record decision support, developing targeted educational materials and outreach, and restructuring outpatient processes to allow

SUBMITTER: Bourgeois W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11424129 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep-Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature