Critically ill patients with cancer: A clinical perspective

Table 4 Causes of acute respiratory failure in patients with cancer[35]

CNS and neuromuscular disorders	Chest wall and pleural disorders	Vascular disorders	Airway disorders	Parenchymal disorders
Drug intoxications: Narcotics; Sedatives; Neuroleptics	Pleural disorder: Malignant pleural effusion; Pleural tumor (primary or metastatic); Tension pneumothorax	Acute pulmonary embolism; Tumor embolism; Pulmonary venooclusive disease	Airway obstruction: Endobronchial metastases; External airway compression; Primary tumor of periglottic area	Pneumonitis: Infection; Chemotherapy; Radiotherapy; Aspiration
Encephalopathies: Infection; Metabolic; Seizure	Chest wall disorders: Chest wall tumor (primary or metastatic); Rib fracture		Others: Tracheoesophageal fistula; Bronchiolitis obliterans	Acute respiratory distress syndrome: Infection; Chemotherapy; Radiotherapy; Transfusion
Intracranial tumors: Primary; Metastatic				Complications of HSCT: Peri-engraftment respiratory distress syndrome; Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage; Idiopathic pneumonia syndrome
Neuropathies/myopathies: Nerve palsy				Others: Lymphangitic carcinomatosis; Pulmonary leukostasis; Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia
Paraneoplastic syndromes: Eaton-Lambert syndrome; Myasthenia gravis; Guillain-Barré syndrome

CNS: Central nervous system; HSCT: Hematopoietic stem cell transplant.