Evaluation of patients who are admitted to Çukurova University Faculty of mmdicine division of pediatric oncology

Purpose: In this study, we aimed to evaluate oncologic emergencies with diagnosis, clinical features, approach to an oncologic emergency, treatment, outcome, and prognostic factors who applied to Çukurova University Faculty of Medicine Division of Pediatric Oncology during the years 2014-2015. Patients and methods: 88 patients with an oncologic emergency (90 hospitalization) except febrile neutropenia who applied to division of Pediatric Oncology between June 2014 to December 2015 were included to this study. Among these, there were patients who had more than one oncologic emergency in one hospitalization. Findings: In our study we diagnosed 30 tumor lysis syndrome, 19 hyperleukocytosis, 11 convulsion, 7 spinal cord compression, 7 hemorrhagic cystitis, 9 pleural effusion, 6 vena cava superior syndrome, 4 typhlitis, 3 anuria, 4 gastrointestinal bleeding, 3 hypercalcemia, 4 acute respiratory distress syndrome, 2 acute massive hepatomegaly, 1 increased intracranial pressure as oncologic emergencies. 65 of the oncologic emergency patients (72,2 %) applied at the primary diagnosis of the oncologic disease, and 25 of them (27,8 %) applied at the relapse. The most common reasons for admittance was fever (23,3 %) (n=21) and respiratory distress (22,2 %) (n=20). In our study 59 of the patients (65,6 %) were discharged and 31 of them have died (34,4 %). Conclusion: As seen in our study, among the pediatric patients, the most common oncologic emergency is tumor lysis syndrome. Oncologic emergencies occur mostly at the primary diagnosis and their mortality rate is high. This high mortality rate points out that the patients who were diagnosed with an oncologic emergency in the pediatric age group should be approached fast and systematically in the light of up to date scientific information. Key words: Childhood, pediatric oncologic emergencies, tumor lysis syndrome.