Oncology Emergencies

Abstract

Although most oncology care takes place in secondary care, many patients are treated as outpatients. Oncology emergencies may occur when the patient is at home and the GP is often called. Therefore, it is important to know how to handle the common emergencies likely to arise. Remember that you are part of a team. For example, in many areas, there is a district or community nursing team available 24 hours a day who can be called upon to provide emergency nursing care, such as replacement dressings, or to attend to syringe drivers that have stopped functioning.

Oncology emergencies

“…Patients with these cancers thus have a higher risk of developing compression of the spinal cord. The most common sites for compression are thoracic (70%) and cervical (20%) vertebrae (Simon, Watson, Drake, Fenton, & McLoughlin, 2008).…”