When Your Child has Cancer, When to Call for Help
When your child has cancer, some symptoms require emergency medical care right away. Get emergency help to prevent severe sickness or death.Some symptoms require a call to the clinic right away. Read below to know when to call 911 and when to call the clinic.
Call 911 right away if your child:
- Has blue lips or skin.
- Is not breathing or has severe difficulty breathing.
- Does not wake up when you try to wake them.
- Is having a seizure (if you are not trained or unsure to care for the seizure at home).
Call the clinic right away at 212-263-8400 if your child has:
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Temperature
• Fever of 100.4 F or more
- Low body temperature of 36 C or 96.8 F
- Chills
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Central Line
- Break in the central line
- Redness, tenderness, warmth at central line site
- Broken or leaking tubing
- Dressing that is peeling or wet
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Breathing, Pain
- Trouble breathing
- Uncontrolled pain
- Severe headache
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Changes
- Unexpected bleeding
- Change in behavior or level of consciousness
- Sudden change in vision
- New weakness of the face, arm or leg
- New rash that does not fade when you press on it
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Stomach (Gastrointestinal)
- Repeated vomiting or diarrhea
- Inability to drink fluids
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Other
- Being near (exposure to) a person who has a contagious illness (such as shingles or others)
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- The instructions above tell you when to call 911 and when to call the clinic.
- DO NOT WAIT TO CALL. If you wait, it can be too late.
- You can call the clinic any time of the day or night, any day of the week. An on-call doctor will call you back.
- When you call the clinic, they may tell you to bring your child to the Emergency Department (“E.R.”) or to call 911.
Every minute counts when your child has an emergency.
Use the information above to know when to call 911 or the clinic.
©2023 NYU Langone Health. All rights reserved. Reviewed for health literacy. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your health care provider's instructions.
Created in partnership with families and expertise from our Sala Institute for Child and Family Centered Care.