2.3.1 Timeframe for referral
- Patients with sepsis, bleeding or severe symptoms should be regarded as a medical emergency and be referred immediately to an appropriate emergency facility without necessarily waiting for results of laboratory tests (same day). All emergency facilities should have existing arrangements to receive urgent haematological advice.
- Patients with suspected AML who present to an emergency department should be triaged as a medical emergency initially and discussed immediately with a clinical haematology service and/or transferred immediately to a specialist centre. This particularly applies to patients with suspected APL.
- Patients with a laboratory diagnosis of possible AML should be referred for an urgent assessment by a haematologist at an appropriate facility within 24 hours. A deferred assessment should only be done after a discussion between the referring doctor and the responsible haematologist.
