The etiologic, microbiologic, clinical and outcome characteristics of immunocompetent young children <2 years of age hospitalized with acute neutropenia

Abstract

Background: To describe the etiologic, microbiologic, clinical and outcome characteristics of acute neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count, ANC, 38 °C was present in 208/431 (48.3%) patients. Blood cultures were positive in 10 (2.3%), with Brucella melitensis, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterobacter spp. identified in 4, 3 and 2 patients, respectively; 5/10 patients with positive blood cultures were 12 months, respectively and 56.8%, 53.5% and 52% of patients with severe, moderate and mild neutropenia, respectively). Conclusion: Acute neutropenia is common in immunocompetent children <2 years of age and is frequently associated with viral infections. We showed a substantial involvement of bacterial infections and particularly SBIs in the etiology of acute neutropenia. After a 1-month follow-up, resolution of neutropenia occurred in half of the patients, without association with age subgroups and with neutropenia severity.

Keywords

• age
• children
• etiology
• neutropenia
• serious bacterial infection