Oncological Emergencies

[kris02]

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Hi all,
I am currently a paramedic student in Australia and i am researching oncological emergencies. I was wondering if anyone had information regarding EMT (paramedic) management of oncological emergencies in the pre hospital setting.
Your help will be greatly appreciated
Kris

 

[docB]

I don't know of any info on this. The only oncologic emergencies I have even seen are neutrapenic fever and sepsis in the chemo crowd and superior vena cava syndrome. I've only seen a real SVC syndrome once but the onc (to his credit) did come in in the middle of the night to help manage the patient. Neither of these have any real EMS issues except trying to isolate the neutrapenics as well as possible.

I'll link this to the EMS forum and see if anyone has any thoughts.

 

[Apollyon]

The only other thing I can think of is the tumor exploding, and patients exsanguinating (or trying like hell to do it).

Otherwise, prehospital + oncologic + emergency = nada. Even the codes are over before they begin - just flogging a dead body.

 

[QuikClot]

Ditto. Never seen the like. What would the treatment be, besides the ABCs? It's not as if we carry something for terminal cancer.

 

[canjosh]

Just to echo what everybody else has already said:
Oncological emergency in the field is sort of an oxymoron. In my experience, the most common problem you'll encounter in the field will be a pt having difficulties after chemotherapy. i.e. nausea/vomiting, feel like crap. And this isn't really an 'oncological emergency'...just another medical patient who's probably dry.