Call Your Doctor if Your Child Has

Signs of infection

  • Fever. Check your child’s temperature any time he/she is warm to the touch, shivering, or just not feeling well. Call if your child’s temperature is 100.4° F (38.0° C) or above.
    • Tell the doctor or nurse the actual temperature shown on the thermometer and how you took it
    • Never give your child Tylenol® for a fever unless instructed by your child’s doctor
    • The doctor will determine the next step based on your current therapy, blood counts and risks
  • Shivering and fever, especially after the central line or port is flushed
  • Redness, warmth, swelling and/or pain at any break in the skin — you may or may not see drainage (pus)
  • Sores in the rectal area
  • Very bad headaches and/or a very bad cough
  • Pain or burning with urination (peeing) or feelings of having to urinate often
  • Constant headache and/or stiff neck and fever, especially if your child is having spinal taps done

Exposure to or signs of infectious diseases

  • Exposure to chicken pox, shingles, measles, mumps, rubella or hepatitis
  • Signs of chicken pox, shingles or cold sores

Signs of bleeding

  • Bleeding that is not normal
  • Bleeding that cannot be stopped after 5 to 20 minutes of pressure
  • Easy or bad bruising or petechiae (small spots due to bleeding in the skin) not due to trauma
  • Signs of internal bleeding, such as blood in the urine, in stool (poop) or in vomit (throw up)
  • A headache that does not get better with Tylenol®, especially if your child becomes more sleepy or hard to wake up
  • Heavier or longer-than-normal menstrual bleeding or passing large clots

Signs of very bad anemia

  • Very pale cheeks and lips
  • Severe tiredness or lack of energy
  • Extreme irritability
    • Complaints of dizziness, headaches, heart pounding or shortness of breath with light activity

Signs of dehydration

  • Nausea and vomiting that last longer than 8 hours
  • Inability to keep liquids down
  • No or very little urine after 8 hours; urine is dark yellow or foul-smelling
  • Diarrhea stools (poop)
    • 1 or more an hour for 4 hours
    • 5 large, watery stools in 24 hours
  • Crying with no tears
  • Dry mouth and lips
  • Extreme weaknesses and sleepiness

Signs of allergic reaction

  • Rash or hives over any part of the body; call first — do not bring them right to the clinic
  • Shortness or breath or wheezing
  • Redness or swelling at injection sites

Other signs or symptoms that need care right away

  • Very bad stomach pain after vomiting forcefully or in the early morning, or having green vomit (bile)
  • Very bad stomach pain or a swollen abdomen
  • Vomiting any chemotherapy medicine
  • Inability to keep prescribed medicines down 2 times in a row
  • Very bad mouth sores that make it hard for your child to drink
  • Very bad constipation: 3 days with no stools after taking a laxative
  • Very bad sunburn
  • Pain, redness or blister at the site where chemotherapy was given
  • Any pain that does not get better after taking Tylenol® or prescribed pain medicines
    • Always check your child’s temperature before giving Tylenol®. Never give Tylenol® if your child has a fever.