Home Care for Low-risk Febrile Neutropenia

Home Care for Low-risk Febrile Neutropenia

What is Febrile Neutropenia (FN)?

Your child is being treated for febrile neutropenia — this means:

• Fever over 38°C
• Low neutrophils (a type of white blood cell that helps fight infections)

Because their neutrophils are low, your child’s body is less able to fight infections.

Why can some children be cared for at home?

Thanks to research worldwide, we now know how to keep children with febrile neutropenia safe while minimising time spent in hospital. Your child has been assessed as low risk for serious infection. This means, with support from the hospital, your child can complete their antibiotics safely at home.

Eligibility for Home Treatment

Before going home, the following must be true:

• You live or have accommodation within 1 hour’s drive of Worcester Royal Hospital
• You have immediate transport available (car or ambulance) to return to hospital if needed
• You have a working home phone or mobile phone
• You agree to follow your treating team’s instructions

What to expect at home

From us:

• A hospital team member will call you daily until your child is well and has completed antibiotics
• You may be asked to stop antibiotics early, even if some are left

What we need from you:

• Take your child’s temperature every 4 hours when awake until told to stop
• Give antibiotics as directed (by mouth or NG tube) — follow hospital instructions carefully

When should you call the hospital?

Your child may still have a fever for up to 5 days — this can be normal, so don’t worry just yet.

Please call Riverbank ward on 01905 760588 if your child:

• Does not feel well or looks more unwell
• Has persistent vomiting or new diarrhoea
• Has redness, tenderness, or pain anywhere (sign of infection)
• Has severe or persistent pain
• Is tired, pale, or short of breath
• Shows signs of dehydration (less urine, dry mouth)
• Is refusing to drink
• Has a low temperature (less than 36°C)
• Develops a new high temperature (>38°C) after 24 hours without fever

Remember — You Know Your Child Best!

If you feel worried or something doesn’t seem right, please contact your child’s treating team.

In an emergency, always call 999.

Contact Numbers

Riverbank Ward: 01905 760588

If your symptoms or condition worsens, or if you are concerned about anything, please call your GP, 111, or 999.

Patient Experience

We know that being admitted to hospital can be a difficult and unsettling time for you and your loved ones. If you have any questions or concerns, please do speak with a member of staff on the ward or in the relevant department who will do their best to answer your questions and reassure you. 

Feedback

Feedback is really important and useful to us – it can tell us where we are working well and where improvements can be made. There are lots of ways you can share your experience with us including completing our Friends and Family Test – cards are available and can be posted on all wards, departments and clinics at our hospitals. We value your comments and feedback and thank you for taking the time to share this with us.

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

If you have any concerns or questions about your care, we advise you to talk with the nurse in charge or the department manager in the first instance as they are best placed to answer any questions or resolve concerns quickly. If the relevant member of staff is unable to help resolve your concern, you can contact the PALS Team. We offer informal help, advice or support about any aspect of hospital services & experiences.

Our PALS team will liaise with the various departments in our hospitals on your behalf, if you feel unable to do so, to resolve your problems and where appropriate refer to outside help.

If you are still unhappy you can contact the Complaints Department, who can investigate your concerns. You can make a complaint orally, electronically or in writing and we can advise and guide you through the complaints procedure.

How to contact PALS:

Telephone Patient Services: 0300 123 1732 or via email at: [email protected]

Opening times:

The PALS telephone lines are open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 4.00pm. Please be aware that you may need to leave a voicemail message, but we aim to return your call within one working day.

If you are unable to understand this leaflet, please communicate with a member of staff.

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