[The patient with leukemia in the intensive care unit]

Patients with leukemia are prone to critical illness at some time during their disease and their therapy that requires critical care. A number of these patients will have the opportunity to receive curative treatment and have an excellent probability of long-term remission if supported through a crisis. Complications that cause critical illness can be categorized as related to disease or those caused by therapy. The present review is focused on the description of the types of complications requiring intensive care, on specific aspects of the application of critical-care techniques, on organization of the intensive care unit in the context of leukemia and on ethical considerations.