Your Child Has a Fever — on Chemotherapy
A fever during chemotherapy can mean your child's body cannot fight infection on its own. Do not wait until morning. This is one situation where going now is always the right choice.
Medically reviewed by Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy, Medical Oncologist, MBBS (Gold Medal) · DNB · DM (Medical Oncology, Gold Medal) · Last reviewed September 2026
- Not an ordinary fever — A suppressed immune system cannot fight infection the way a healthy child's can.
- Act now, not in the morning — Waiting to see if the fever settles is not safe during chemotherapy.
- Know your threshold number — Your team will have given you a temperature to watch for at discharge. Find that card now.
- Know which hospital to go to — Go to the hospital your oncology team named, not simply the nearest emergency department.
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A fever during chemotherapy is a medical emergency in children. Your child's blood counts may be too low to fight infection without hospital treatment. Do not give paracetamol and wait to see if it settles. Call your oncology team's emergency number now, or go straight to the emergency department they have told you to use.
If a symptom below applies to you, do not wait for a callback. Call 1800-202-8726 or go to your nearest emergency department.
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Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
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Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
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MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
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MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
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MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
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MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
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Not sure whether this counts as an emergency?
Call the helpline. It is always better to check than to wait.
How do you tell whether this fever needs emergency care right now?
| What you are seeing | Lower concern — call your team | Emergency — go now |
|---|---|---|
| Child's temperature | Mild rise, child alert and drinking normally | At or above the number your team gave you at discharge — or any fever where you do not have that number |
| Child's appearance | Awake, talking, taking fluids | Limp, very drowsy, hard to rouse, or unusually quiet |
| Breathing | Normal rate and effort | Faster than usual, laboured, or noisy |
| Central line or port site | No change at the insertion site | Redness, swelling, discharge, or pain at the site |
| Typically starts | Can happen at any point during treatment | Most often in the days after chemotherapy when blood counts are at their lowest, but can occur at any time |
What should you bring to the emergency department?
Bring your child's oncology card or the most recent discharge summary. This tells the emergency team who is treating your child, which chemotherapy they are on, and when the last dose was given.
If your child has a central line or port, bring the care card for it. Emergency staff need to know the line type before they can access it.
Note the time the fever started and the highest temperature reading you have taken. The emergency team will ask.
Do not wait to pack a full bag. These three things and your child are enough to leave right now.
Explore 69 more Blood Counts, Infection, Fever & Emergencies topics
Fever During Chemotherapy
- A Printable Fever Action Plan
- Can You Wait Until Morning With a Fever?
- Fever After the Course Has Finished
- Fever During Chemotherapy: What to Do Right Now
- Fever When You Cannot Reach Your Team
- Fever With Chills and Rigors
- Fever With No Other Symptoms
- Fever in a Child on Chemotherapy
- How Long Will You Be Admitted for a Fever?
- Is 99, 100 or 101 Degrees an Emergency?
- Preventing Infection to Avoid Fever Episodes
- What to Carry to Hospital With a Fever
- What to Tell the Hospital When You Call
- Why Fever Is Treated as an Emergency
Blood Transfusion & Donor Arrangement
Emergencies & Red Flags
- A Printable Emergency Action Card
- Bleeding That Will Not Stop
- Breathlessness: When It Is an Emergency
- Chemotherapy Emergencies: The Complete Red-Flag List
- Chest Pain During Chemotherapy
- Confusion, Drowsiness or Fits
- Emergency Contacts: Who to Call and When
- Fever: The Number One Emergency
- Going to a Different Hospital in an Emergency
- Leg Swelling and Calf Pain
- Not Passing Urine or Passing Very Little
- Problems With Your Port or Line
- Severe Mouth Pain Stopping Fluids
- Severe Pain That Is Not Controlled
- Swelling of the Face, Lips or Throat
- Uncontrolled Vomiting or Diarrhoea
- What to Keep Ready at Home for an Emergency
- When to Call the Helpline vs Go Straight In
HUB — Low Blood Counts, Infection and Fever During Chemotherapy
Infection Prevention at Home
Low Platelets & Bleeding
- A Printable Bleeding Red-Flag Card
- Arranging Platelet Donors
- Bleeding Gums and Nosebleeds
- Bruising Easily During Chemotherapy
- Dental Work and Procedures With Low Platelets
- Everyday Precautions With Low Platelets
- Foods That Are Said to Raise Platelets
- Low Platelets During Chemotherapy
- Painkillers to Avoid When Platelets Are Low
- Platelet Transfusion: What to Expect
- What Platelet Count Is Dangerous?
Low White Cells, Neutropenia & Infection
- A Printable Neutropenia Safety Card
- Avoiding Infection During the Low-Count Days
- Bone Pain After Growth Factor Injections
- Can You Go Out When Your Counts Are Low?
- Foods That Are Said to Raise White Cells
- Getting to Hospital Fast From a District
- Growth Factor Injections to Raise Your Counts
- How to Take and Record a Temperature Properly
- Low White Cell Count During Chemotherapy
- Neutropenia in Children on Chemotherapy
- Neutropenic Fever: A Medical Emergency
- Preventive Antibiotics During Chemotherapy
- Recovering Counts Between Cycles
- Should You Take Paracetamol for a Fever?
- Signs of Infection to Watch For
- Understanding Your Blood Count Report
- Visitors When Your Counts Are Low
- What Happens When You Go In With Neutropenic Fever?
- What Is Neutropenia?
- What Is an Absolute Neutrophil Count?
- What Temperature Means You Must Go to Hospital?
- Which Days Are You Most at Risk of Infection?
Vaccination During & After Chemotherapy
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Frequently asked questions
Can I give paracetamol to bring the fever down before going to hospital?
Ask your oncology team before giving any medicine — they may have given you specific instructions at discharge. The concern is that paracetamol can reduce the fever and make your child appear better than they are, which can delay the treatment they actually need. If you are already on your way to the emergency department, tell the team on arrival what you gave and when. Giving paracetamol is never a reason to delay leaving.
Do we really need to go tonight, or can we wait until the clinic opens in the morning?
Do not wait until morning. A child on chemotherapy may have very few white blood cells — the cells that fight infection — and without them a bacterial infection can become serious within hours, not days. Your oncology team's emergency number exists specifically for this situation. Call it now, whatever the time. If you cannot reach anyone, go directly to the emergency department your team named.
What will happen when we arrive at the emergency department?
Tell the reception desk immediately that your child is on chemotherapy. This usually means they are seen quickly. The team will check temperature, pulse, and blood pressure, and take blood to measure white cell counts and look for the source of infection. If counts are very low or there are signs of serious infection, your child will most likely be admitted for close monitoring and treatment while results come back.
Why is fever during chemotherapy more dangerous than a normal childhood fever?
A healthy child with a fever has an immune system working hard to fight the infection. A child on chemotherapy may have very few white blood cells — the cells that do that fighting. Without them, a bacterial infection that a healthy child's body would handle can spread very quickly. This is why a fever that would be manageable at home for another child is treated as a potential emergency during chemotherapy, and acted on the same night.
Chemotherapy Topics
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