Any of the following is acted on immediately. Life- or limb-threatening findings are escalated first; provider notification and orders follow.
Red flags — act immediately
Lymphangitis or cellulitis — red streaking, warmth, tenderness, and fever → urgent antibiotics and evaluation; escalate to EMS for rigors, confusion, or rapid spread (cross-reference Integumentary, Peripheral Vascular).
New hard, fixed, matted, or supraclavicular nodes → evaluate for malignancy; notify.
Rapidly worsening lymphedema with systemic signs → urgent evaluation; notify.
New unilateral limb swelling that may be a deep vein thrombosis → assess for DVT and notify urgently (cross-reference Peripheral Vascular).
A post-operative at-risk-limb infection with erythema, warmth, and drainage → notify urgently.
Compression causing skin breakdown or worsening swelling → remove or adjust and notify.
