Hematologic Emergencies in the PICU

The pediatric critical care physician is frequently challenged by hematologic abnormalities in critically ill children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). The challenge is to differentiate between primary hematologic emergencies that require critical care interventions and abnormalities secondary to other disease conditions. It is therefore necessary for the pediatric critical care physician to collaborate with the pediatric hematologist when managing such patients. This chapter summarizes some of the most common hematologic emergencies of red blood cell (RBC), white blood cell (WBC), or platelet disorders observed in critically ill children that may require attention of the pediatric critical care physician.