You have a febrile 37-year-old male with a very high WBC count, most of which are blasts. Most likely, he has an acute leukemia. A bone marrow has not yet been done, and it is unknown if this is an acute myeloid leukemia or an acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?
A. The patient’s fever is likely due to the leukemic cells, and antibiotics should be started only if you identify a specific infection.
B. The patient is at risk for tumor lysis syndrome and should be started on allopurinol.
C. Aggressive inpatient chemotherapy is required for both the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia and acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
D. You should consult a hematologist/oncologist as soon as possible.
Answer:A
You have a febrile 37-year-old male with a very high WBC count, most of which are blasts. Most likely, he has an acute leukemia. A bone marrow has not yet been done, and it is unknown if this is an acute myeloid leukemia or an acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?
A. The patient’s fever is likely due to the leukemic cells, and antibiotics should be started only if you identify a specific infection. B. The patient is at risk for tumor lysis syndrome and should be started on allopurinol. C. Aggressive inpatient chemotherapy is required for both the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia and acute lymphoblastic leukemia. D. You should consult a hematologist/oncologist as soon as possible.