Infections in immunocompromised children — OSCE

Station brief (candidate)

• Explain what neutropenia means in plain language a parent can understand and act on.
• State clearly when the parent must bring the child to hospital and why the threshold is any fever, not a high fever.
• Outline what will happen when they arrive: cultures, empiric antibiotic within the hour, admission.
• Agree a written fever action plan and confirm understanding with teach-back.
• Avoid reassuring the parent that a low-grade fever can wait, or that the child's appearance is a reliable guide. ^{[1] [2]}