Sore throat or severe threat? The teleconsultation that uncovered neutropenic sepsis

Authors

Chanceeth Chandrakanthan, Chanceeth Chandrakanthan is a senior lecturer in the PA program at St George's, University of London, in London, England, United Kingdom, and practices at Swiss Cottage Surgery in London. Tamara S. Ritsema is an associate professor in the PA program at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and an adjunct reader in the PA program at St George's, University of London. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
Tamara S. Ritsema

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

3-1-2025

Journal

JAAPA : official journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants

Volume

38

Issue

3

DOI

10.1097/01.JAA.0000000000000175

Abstract

This case report describes a telemedicine visit by a patient with fever, sore throat, and odynophagia. The patient had recently started taking propylthiouracil (PTU) for Graves disease. She was referred to the ED, where a complete blood cell count revealed agranulocytosis with a neutrophil count of 200 cells/mm3. PTU was promptly discontinued, and she received treatment with IV piperacillin-tazobactam, resulting in an improvement in her condition. With the rise of telemedicine, clinicians must prioritize thorough history-taking to detect uncommon complications of medications and to ensure patient safety.

APA Citation

Chandrakanthan, Chanceeth and Ritsema, Tamara S., "Sore throat or severe threat? The teleconsultation that uncovered neutropenic sepsis" (2025). GW Authored Works. Paper 6506.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/6506

Department

Physician Assistant Studies