The nurse caring for a neutropenic, 75-year-old man undergoing treatment for prostate cancer assesses an oral temperature of 100.4° F. The most appropriate interpretation of this finding is that the client

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Fever is the cardinal, and often the only, manifestation of infection in the neutropenic client. The development of fever in a neutropenic client should be treated as a medical emergency and mandates prompt assessment, diagnosis, and intervention. The source could be a urinary tract infection, but the client needs a work-up to determine the source of any infection (e.g., blood cultures, a chest x-ray, and a urinalysis).

The Nurse Caring for a Neutropenic, 75-Year-Old Man Undergoing Treatment