Symptoms of neutropenia and ways to treat it

Neutropenia itself has no symptoms. It is often seen during routine blood tests or tests for another disease. For this reason, patients undergoing chemotherapy, who are more exposed to this disease, should have regular blood tests. But the most serious concern with neutropenia is infection, which can easily spread throughout the body without controlling the number of neutrophils. Symptoms of infection include: - High fever or low temperature - Shivering and sweating - Flu-like symptoms - Weakness Mucositis, inflammation and painful ulceration of the mucous membrane of the digestive system - Abdominal pains - Diarrhea and vomiting - Changes in mental status - Sore throat, toothache or mouth sores - Pain in the anus - Burning sensation when urinating - Increased urination - Coughing - Difficulty in breathing - Redness or swelling around the wounds - Abnormal vaginal discharge In case of infection, there is a risk of febrile neutropenia, which is also called **neutropenic sepsis**. This is an emergency situation and occurs mostly in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Its mortality rate is between 2 and 21 percent. Fever above 38°C, for 1 hour or more, is recognized as one of the symptoms of febrile neutropenia. Additionally, in this type of neutropenia, the absolute neutrophil count is 1500 cells per microliter or less. **Treatment of neutropenia** Doctors should treat the patient's infection immediately. The treatment of neutropenia depends on the cause of the disorder. Treatments used to reduce the impact of this disease include: 1. **Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor (G-CSF):** This is a glycoprotein that stimulates the bone marrow to produce neutrophils and other granulocytes, releasing them into the bloodstream. The most common form of G-CSF is a drug called filgrastim. 2. **Granulocyte-macrophage stimulating factor (GM-CSF):** A naturally produced glycoprotein that has a similar role to G-CSF. Both improve neutrophils after chemotherapy. 3. **Antibiotics:** Prophylactic antibiotics are sometimes prescribed to reduce the chance of infection. They are often administered at a time when neutrophil counts are likely to be at their lowest.