Abstract
Intensive care is increasingly frequently used in the management of cancer patients. In order to determine whether and how critical-care facilities are used specifically for these patients, we performed a world-wide inquiry in anticancer centres. We mailed a questionnaire to 141 centres and received 84 responses (57.5%). There was at least one oncological intensive care-unit (ICU) in 59 hospitals (70%). The majority of the ICU were found in the European institutions. Data were obtained concerning the ICU organisation, the medical team, the nursing staff, the critical-care techniques and the anticancer treatments performed. Medical ICU appeared to be managed by physicians and nurses often qualified in both intensive care and oncology. These data suggest that oncological intensive care should be part of the training of oncologists and intensivists.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Carlon GC (1989) Just say no. Crit Care Med 17:106–107
Chevrolet JC, Jolliet P (1991) An ethical look at intensive care for patients with malignancies. Eur J Cancer 27:210–212
Cox SC, Scott HN, Duncan CA (1985) Acute respiratory failure: mortality associated with underlying disease. Crit Care Med 13:1005–1008
Dickinson MC (1990) Education for staff who care for cancer patients in the critical care unit. Nurs J Staff Dev 6:202–203
Groeger JS, Strosberg MA, Halpern NA, Raphaely RC, Kaye WE, Guntupalli KK, Bertram DL, Greenbaum DM, Clemmer TP, Gallagher TJ, Nelson LD, Thompson AE, Cerra FB, Davis WR (1992) Descriptive analysis of critical care units in the United States. Crit Care Med 20:846–863
Hauser MJ, Tabak J, Baier H (1982) Survival of patients with cancer in a medical critical care unit. Arch Intern Med 142:527–529
Lawrence VA, Clark GM (1987) Cancer and resuscitation. Does the diagnosis affect the decision? Arch Intern Med 147:1637–1640
Markiewicz E (1994) Organisation d'une unité de soins intensifs et problèmes de nursing dans un centre anticancéreux. Formation supérieure en soins infirmiers 1994. Arnette, Paris, pp 129–1320
Reis Miranda D, Williams A, Loirat P (1990) Management of intensive care. Guidelines for better use of resources. Kluwer, Dordrecht
Sculier JP (1993) Traitements anticancéreux en réanimation. In: Leclercq B, Sculier JP (eds) Réanimation en cancérologie. Masson, Paris, pp 185–192
Sculier JP, Markiewicz E (1991) Medical cancer patients and intensive care. Anticancer Res 11:2171–2174
Sculier JP, Ries F, Verboven N, Coune A, Klastersky J (1988) Role of intensive care unit in a medical oncology department. Eur J Cancer Clin Oncol 24:513–517
Task Force on Guidelines, Society of Critical Care Medicine (1988) Recommandations for critical care unit design. Crit Care Med 16:796–806
Task Force on Guidelines, Society of Critical Care Medicine (1988) Recommandations for services and personnel for delivery of care in a critical care setting. Crit Care Med 16:809–811
Turnbull A, Goldiner P, Silverman D, Howland W (1976) The role of an intensive care unit in a cancer center. Cancer 37:82–84
UICC (1990) Directory of cancer institutes and organizations, 5th edn. UICC, Geneva
Vincent JL (1994) Guidelines for the utilisation of intensive care units. Intensive Care Med 20:163–164
Wachter RM, Luce JM, Hearst N, Lo B (1989) Decisions about resuscitation: inequities among patients with different diseases but similar prognoses. Ann Med 111:525–532
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sculier, J.P., Markiewicz, E. Intensive care in anticancer centres: an international inquiry. Support Care Cancer 3, 130–134 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00365853
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00365853