neutropenia
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Definition
- Noun:
- A medical condition characterized by an abnormally low level of neutrophils in the blood. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that are essential for fighting bacterial infections.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- The patient's chemotherapy caused severe neutropenia, making them highly susceptible to infections.
- A diagnosis of neutropenia requires careful monitoring of the patient's white blood cell count.
- Fever in a patient with known neutropenia is considered a medical emergency.
Advanced Usage
- "Febrile neutropenia": A critical condition where neutropenia is accompanied by a fever, indicating a high risk of a severe, potentially life-threatening infection.
- Patients undergoing bone marrow transplant are closely watched for signs of febrile neutropenia.
Variants and Related Words
- Neutrophil (n): The specific type of white blood cell that is deficient in neutropenia. They are the body's primary defense against bacterial and fungal infections.
- Leukopenia (n): A broader term for a low white blood cell count. Neutropenia is a specific type of leukopenia.
- Neutropenic (adj): Relating to or affected by neutropenia.
- The patient was placed in a neutropenic isolation room.
Synonyms
- Granulocytopenia: A more technical term often used interchangeably with neutropenia, referring to a decrease in granulocytes (a category that includes neutrophils).
Notes on Meaning
- Medical Specificity: "Neutropenia" is a precise medical term. It is not a general term for feeling unwell or having a weak immune system; it refers to a measurable laboratory deficiency of a specific blood cell.
- Cause and Effect: The condition is typically a result of another process, such as chemotherapy, certain medications, autoimmune diseases, or bone marrow disorders. It is not itself a disease but a sign or complication.
Noun
- leukopenia in which the decrease is primarily in number of neutrophils (the chief phagocytic leukocyte)