Free BCEN Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) Practice Question

For a patient with a history of chemotherapy presenting with fever and chills, the priority assessment should be obtaining a full set of vital signs followed by a neutrophil count. Chemotherapy can lead to neutropenia, which increases the risk of severe infection. Fever in a neutropenic patient is considered an oncologic emergency and requires prompt evaluation and treatment to prevent sepsis. While a comprehensive health history, inspection of the IV site, and assessing for other sources of infection are also important, these do not take precedence over determining whether the patient is neutropenic, as this would guide the immediate management, including isolation and administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics.