• To increase your awareness of the risk of neutropenic sepsis in patients receiving anticancer treatment
• To acknowledge the importance of staff education on neutropenic sepsis and its timely management
• To recognise the importance of patient education regarding the prompt reporting of adverse effects
Neutropenic sepsis is a potentially life-threatening complication of systemic anticancer therapy and must be recognised and treated rapidly. National guidance recommends, among other things, that patients with suspected neutropenic sepsis receive intravenous antibiotics within one hour of presentation. Initial observations, assessment and investigations are key to inform management.
This article discusses the findings of a service evaluation conducted in a cancer unit in Northern Ireland to assess the initial management of patients with suspected neutropenic sepsis against the targets set by national guidance. The authors identify areas of optimal practice and areas for improvement, and make recommendations on how to enhance the management of neutropenic sepsis, notably through staff education.
Cancer Nursing Practice. 23, 3, 20-26. doi: 10.7748/cnp.2023.e1835
Peer reviewThis article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software
Correspondence Conflict of interestNone declared
McCauley L, Donovan MM, McCaughey C et al (2023) Neutropenic sepsis: evaluating the timeliness of initial patient management on presentation to hospital. Cancer Nursing Practice. doi: 10.7748/cnp.2023.e1835
Published online: 06 July 2023
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