Different fever definitions and the rate of fever and neutropenia diagnosed in children with cancer: a retrospective two-center cohort study

Binz, Patrizia; Bodmer, Nicole; Leibundgut, Kurt; Teuffel, Oliver; Niggli, Felix K.; Ammann, Roland A. (2013). Different fever definitions and the rate of fever and neutropenia diagnosed in children with cancer: a retrospective two-center cohort study. Pediatric blood & cancer, 60(5), pp. 799-805. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley-Liss 10.1002/pbc.24380

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Background. The definition of fever, and thus fever and neutropenia (FN), varies between different pediatric oncology centers. Higher temperature limit should reduce FN rates, but may increase rates of FN with complications by delaying therapy. This study determined if different fever definitions are associated with different FN rates. Procedure. Two pediatric oncology centers had used three fever definitions in 2004–2011: ear temperature >=38.5°C persisting >=2 hours (low definition); axillary temperature >=38.5°C >=2 hours or >=39.0°C once (middle); and ear temperature >=39.0°C once (high). Clinical information was retrospectively extracted from charts. FN rates were compared using mixed Poisson regression.

Results. In 521 pediatric patients with cancer, 783 FN were recorded during 6,009 months cumulative chemotherapy exposure time (501 years; rate, 0.13/month [95% CI, 0.12–0.14]), 124 of them with bacteremia (16%; 0.021/month [0.017–0.025]). In univariate analysis, the high versus low fever definition was associated with a lower FN rate (0.10/month [0.08–0.11] vs. 0.15/month [0.13–0.16]; rate ratio, 0.66 [0.45–0.97]; P ¼ 0.036), the middle definition was intermediate (0.13/month [0.11–0.15]). This difference was not confirmed in multivariate analysis (rate ratio, 0.94 [0.67–1.33]; P ¼ 0.74). The high versus low definition was not associated with an increased rate of FN with bacteremia (multivariate rate ratio, 1.39 [0.53–3.62]; P ¼ 0.50).

Conclusion. A higher fever definition was not associated with a lower FN rate, nor with an increased rate of FN with bacteremia. These may be false negative
findings due to methodological limitations. These questions, with their potential impact on health-related quality of life, and on costs, need to be assessed in prospective studies.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Gynaecology, Paediatrics and Endocrinology (DFKE) > Clinic of Paediatric Medicine

UniBE Contributor:

Leibundgut, Kurt, Teuffel, Marc Oliver, Ammann, Roland

Subjects:

600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health

ISSN:

1545-5009

Publisher:

Wiley-Liss

Language:

English

Submitter:

Anette van Dorland

Date Deposited:

04 Oct 2013 14:40

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 14:12

Publisher DOI:

10.1002/pbc.24380

PubMed ID:

23193083

Web of Science ID:

000316291700015

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/16500 (FactScience: 224151)

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