Do all episodes of fever and neutropenia require antibiotics?
• A: In severe neutropenia syndromes (i.e., Kostmann syndrome) or when the cause of the neutropenia is unclear, it is prudent to evaluate the child promptly, draw a blood culture, and administer IV broad-spectrum antibiotics. Certain neutropenia syndromes are not associated with an increased risk of infection (i.e., chronic benign neutropenia of childhood); children with these syndromes should be evaluated when they have fever, but probably do not require IV antibiotics if they look well.
