Oncologic Emergencies Implications for Rehabilitation

Many oncology patients are at risk for emergent medical conditions brought on by either their disease itself or its treatment. Such conditions typically arise from structural/mechanical defects, metabolic derangements, and/or hematological deficits. Although rehabilitation staff members do not treat these emergent conditions, they are uniquely positioned to recognize changes in patient status that may signal an emergent condition. By alerting medical staff to these changes, appropriate and potentially life-saving medical care can be initiated. The purpose of this manuscript, therefore, is to identify the signs and symptoms of the more frequent emergent conditions seen in the oncology environment and to describe the implications for rehabilitation staff.