Emergency Care for Blood and Marrow Transplant Patients (The James)
Emergency Care for Blood and Marrow Transplant Patients (The James)
General Guidelines for Emergency Care
Use these guidelines to know when and how to report any problems that you may have after you leave the hospital. Your doctor may give you more information about how to manage your specific health care needs.
Symptoms and When to Call Your Doctor
Symptom | Common Problem | Action |
Bleeding | Blood in vomit or stool | Call your doctor right away. |
Blood from nose | Apply first aid (pinch your nose, put head forward, apply ice pack to nose and back of neck. If your nose is still bleeding after 1 to 2 minutes, call your doctor | |
Blood in or around eye | Call your doctor right away. | |
Petechiae (pin point red dots under the surface of skin) or bruises | Call your doctor within 24 hours. | |
Blood in urine | Call your doctor right away. | |
Bleeding from vagina | Call your doctor within 24 hours. | |
Fever | Temperature | Call your doctor right away if you have a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) or higher. If your temperature is less than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, retake in 2 hours. Do not take medicines that can reduce a fever before you call your doctor. These medicines include: Tylenol, Aspirin, Ibuprofen or Aleve, Vicodin or Lortab (Hydrocodone/ Acetaminophen), Percocet (Oxycodone/Acetaminophen). |
Cold symptoms | Cough | Call your doctor within 24 hours. |
Shortness of breath | Call your doctor right away. | |
Sore throat, runny nose | Call your doctor within 24 hours. | |
Change in level of consciousness | Unable to wake up or speak | Family/Caregiver should call 911 right away, then call your doctor. |
Severe headache | Call your doctor right away. | |
Confusion | Family/Caregiver should call your doctor right away | |
Dizziness or lightheaded | Call your doctor right away. | |
Central Venous Catheter | A tear or crack in the catheter | Call your doctor right away. |
Unable to flush catheter | Call your doctor right away. | |
Tenderness, redness or drainage at site | Call your doctor right away. | |
Vomiting or Nausea | Blood in vomit or vomit that looks like coffee grounds | Call your doctor right away. |
Unable to keep medicines or foods down, unable to swallow fluids | Call your doctor right away. | |
Mouth Sores | Painful sores in the mouth | Call your doctor within 24 hours or sooner if you need pain medicine. |
Diarrhea (liquid stool, watery, without form) | Stool that has blood in it or looks like black tar or is maroon in color | Call your doctor right away. |
Increase in the amount and number of times you have diarrhea | Call your doctor within 24 hours. | |
Skin rashes or lesions | Any new symptom | Call your doctor within 24 hours. |
Eyes | Vision changes | Call your doctor within 24 hours. |
Redness or drainage | Call your doctor within 24 hours. | |
Dry, itchy | Call your doctor within 24 hours. | |
Joint or bone pain, or joint swelling | Any new symptoms or if pain medicine is needed | Call your doctor within 24 hours. |
Overall pain | Persistent or increasing pain that is not relieved by pain medicine | Call your doctor within 24 hours. |
Abdominal pain or cramping | Severe pain or pain that continues for over 24 hours | Call your doctor right away. |
Chest pain | Pressure or crushing pain in the middle of your chest that may go across your chest to your shoulders, arms (one or both), neck or back | Call 911 right away |
Indigestion | Stomach pain or gas | Call your doctor within 24 hours. |
If you have other symptoms not listed, you may call:
- The Hematology and Transplant Clinic at (614) 293-3316.
- After hours, on weekends, or holidays your call to the clinic will be sent to a 24 hour nurse triage line. This triage nurse will work with your doctor to help you deal with these symptoms.
If your symptoms are not life threatening, call the Hematology and Transplant Outpatient Clinic.
- It is important to call early in the day. There may be ways to help stop or reduce the problem.
- The doctor or nurse practitioner may ask you to keep track of your symptom(s) or may give you directions on what you can do to prevent the problem from getting worse.
- You may be able to be seen in the Hematology and Transplant Outpatient Clinic instead of the Emergency Department for your problem.
If you have a life threatening medical emergency, you or your caregiver should call 911.
- When you call 911, the emergency squad will take you to the nearest hospital and contact your doctor. You may be transferred to Ohio State University James Cancer Hospital, if needed.
- It is important to know the emergency phone number to use in your local area.
Important Medical Phone Numbers
Put a copy of your important medical phone numbers on your refrigerator and in your purse or wallet.
Emergency Squad (Ambulance) | 911 or local emergency number: _______________ | Call this number in a medical emergency. |
Hematology and Transplant Outpatient Clinic
If you are unable to | (614) 293-3316
| If you have a nonemergency, call the outpatient clinic during
If you have a nonemergency after hours, on the weekend, or a holiday,
|
© February 16, 2022. The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute.
This handout is for informational purposes only. Talk with your doctor or health care team if you have any questions about your care.
Last Revised: 2/16/2022
Author: OSUWMC
Medical Review: Patient Education