PROFILE OF THE ONCOLOGIC PATIENTS TREATED AT THE EMERGENCY UNIT

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the profile of oncology patients treated at the Emergency Unit of a public hospital in the State of São Paulo - Brazil. Method: This is an exploratory, retrospective study. Medical records were used from patients seen in the emergency unit in the year 2012. Results: 172 cancer patients were treated at one year, 62.2% (107) were male with a mean age of 62 years, 69.8% (120) patients in the initial or intermediate stage of the disease, 97.6% (168) of the patients received chemotherapy and 39.5% (68) radiation and 86% (148) of these patients did not have cancer metastasis and 57.5% (99) were discharged from the emergency unit. The signs and symptoms that led these patients to seek emergency services are pain 83.1% (143), nausea and vomiting to 67.4% (116), fever 26.1% (45) and weakness presented by 11.6% (20) cases. Tumors were gastrointestinal disturbances to 27.3% (47), lungs 18.6% (32) and breast 16.9% (29), analgesics being used 94.7% (163) and antiemetics 79,6% (137), peripheral intravenous 45% (77). Conclusion: It was concluded that there is little prevalence of cancer patients in this emergency unit, and the treatment of symptoms in cancer patients is a complex multidisciplinary concern and emergency services should have physical infrastructure and qualified human resources to serve patients.