Pediatric hematologic and oncologic emergencies

Acute hematologic-oncologic problems fall into two groups, those that require immediate assessment, diagnosis, and therapy, and those that require attention but are not life threatening if treated appropriately. Both types are considered in this article, which discusses hemorrhagic disorders; anemias, with special emphasis on patients with sickle cell disease; an approach to fever and infection in the immunocompromised child; and oncologic disorders that may be life threatening.