Pediatric blood & cancer
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Pediatric blood & cancer · Oct 2012
Shorter hospitalization trends among children with sickle cell disease.
Vaso-occlusive crises (VOC) contribute to frequent hospitalizations among children with sickle cell disease (SCD). The objective of this study was to determine whether length of stay (LOS) has decreased for VOC hospitalizations between 1997 and 2009. ⋯ Nationally representative hospital data indicate modest but meaningful reductions in LOS for children with VOC over a 12-year period. Adolescents who typically have the greatest disease severity showed the largest reduction in LOS. However, adolescents continue to account for a large proportion of inpatient stays for VOC. These findings illustrate that the adolescent period is a critical time in the lifespan for targeted intervention.
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Pediatric blood & cancer · Oct 2012
Levetiracetam for busulfan-induced seizure prophylaxis in children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Anti-seizure prophylaxis is routinely utilized during busulfan administration for HSCT. We evaluated the feasibility and efficacy of levetiracetam in children undergoing HSCT. ⋯ Cost of drug, administration, and monitoring were also similar among the two groups. Due to non-induction of the hepatic cytochrome P450 enzymes, levetiracetam may lead to better dose assurance of busulfan in targeted dose regimens for HSCT.