4301 W. Markham St.
Little Rock, AR 72205
07/20/2011

Development of a rapid, cost-effective clinical assessment tool capable of differentiating “low- risk” from “high-risk” patients upon initial presentation is of critical value for clinicians. Early identification of “high risk” patients may help clinicians to consider “intensified–up-front” (or more intensive initial) management that may result in a decrease in infection-related morbidity and mortality.

Consequently, patients may resume treatment of their underlying malignancy without unnecessary delays, which may positively affect long-term survival. In addition, early identification of “low-risk” patients may lead to an earlier discontinuation of unnecessary antimicrobials, which potentially decreases the risk of the development of resistant strains, and shortening hospitalization, which results in judicious use of resources.

Clinicians may use it as an additional tool for efficient inpatient management and discharge planning. In addition, the identification of biomarkers that stratifies their F-N risk and predicts clinical outcome may be used among all cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. In additional, it could be clinically useful among patients with bone marrow transplant, congenital immune-deficiencies and those receiving immune-suppression for other reasons such as autoimmune diseases or following solid organ transplant.