Use of NGS Cell-free Pathogen Test for Identification of Low Risk Fever & Neutropenia in Pediatric Patients

Febrile neutropenia is a common complication in pediatric oncology patients. Standard of care requires admission of all patients for intravenous antibiotics until cultures are negative, patients are afebrile and there are signs of bone marrow recovery. This often results in prolonged hospital admissions with significant financial costs, decreased quality of life and potential secondary infections. More recent data suggests it may be possible to identify a "low risk" group that can be discharged prior to signs of bone marrow recovery. At this time, researchers have been unable to identify a model that is safe for early discharge across institutions.