Talk:Febrile neutropenia

Expand Template

I added the expand template to this article for several reasons. First, it doesn't have any sections - it's really only a stub. In actuality, this article could reasonably be expected to have numerous sections detailing causes, complications, the prognosis in various cases, and treatment modalities. This article could even have a Popular Culture section - in an episode of "The L Word" a major character dies from febrile neutropenia while undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. Although treatment is mentioned some, nowhere in the article is the use of immune-boosting drugs discussed. I know from many other sources that in cases of febrile neutropenia that are severe enough, protein drugs that either hasten the maturation of immune cells or that stimulate the immune system to produce more white blood cells are administered in order to help relieve the neutropenia and, in so doing, help the body fight off any infection. I would have added this to the article myself if I remembered a single source where I read this, but having noticed that so many other things were missing from this article, I thought I would go this route instead. Also unmentioned are other causes of febrile neutropenia (that is, causes other than chemotherapy.) For example, immunosuppressed individuals suffering from AIDS can develop this condition, as can transplant organ recipients who are on immunosuppressing drugs - or anybody who, for one reason or another, is taking a drug that suppresses the immune system. I imagine that the article neutropenia may have more of this information available, and that info from that article can be added to this one. I hope that it does. If that is the case, in its current form this article might be better off merged into the neutropenia article, as it offers so little information. That said, I personally think that febrile neutropenia does deserve its own article, just one that has significantly more information on it than it currently does. Thanks for your input and additions! Spiral5800 (talk) 12:20, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Merging

As you can see, I removed the expand template and instead proposed that this article be merged into neutropenia. The discussion on whether or not this should happen is on the talk page for the neutropenia article. I thought that I would post a little something here anyway, though, just for the benefit of the archive and to point people who want to talk about this in the right direction - to the talk page on neutropenia. Spiral5800 (talk) 12:59, 25 January 2010 (UTC) I feel that febrile neutropenia deserves a separate article,though I agree that this article requires much expansion.If anyone else has any input that they would like to share,post it here or on my talk page.Thank you.Immunize (talk) 15:03, 25 January 2010 (UTC)