potential emergencies

Last reviewed 01/2018

Potential emergencies include:

  • fever - if the patient is neutropenic this requires urgent admission for broad spectrum antibiotics

  • mucositis - severe mouth ulceration, may indicate imminent myelosuppression, which should be treated with folinic acid

  • shortness of breath - may be related to pulmonary fibrosis (e.g. bleomycin or doxorubicin) or cardiomyopathy

  • acute constipation - maybe acute neurotoxicity vincristine