Pediatric blood & cancer
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Pediatric blood & cancer · Jan 2006
Case ReportsCentral venous catheter thrombosis as a cause of SVC obstruction and cardiac tamponade in a patient with Diamond-Blackfan anemia and iron overload.
Cardiac tamponade is an infrequent but potentially lethal complication related to use of central venous catheters (CVC). We present the case of a 16-year-old female with Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA) who developed pericardial tamponade secondary to superior venous caval obstruction caused by CVC thrombosis. ⋯ Her condition quickly decompensated with cardiac arrest and subsequent death despite immediate pericardiocentesis. As a result of this case, our center has developed a protocol for the management of CVC problems as a means of facilitating rapid recognition of central line clots.
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Pediatric blood & cancer · Dec 2005
Comparative StudyPainful procedures in children with cancer: comparison of moderate sedation and general anesthesia for lumbar puncture and bone marrow aspiration.
The study was conducted to compare moderate sedation (MS) with general anesthesia (GA) in the management of frequently performed lumbar puncture or bone marrow aspiration (BMA) during the treatment of childhood cancer. ⋯ Our study suggests that MS compared favorably to GA with respect to both safety and efficacy. When performed by non-anesthesiologists, MS may be associated with better compliance and cost-effectiveness as it relies on the contribution of non-pharmacological techniques.
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Pediatric blood & cancer · Dec 2005
Clinical aspects and treatment of pain in children and adolescents with cancer.
The aim of this study was to characterize the clinical aspects and the treatment of mild to severe pain in Brazilian children and adolescents with cancer. We evaluated the importance of classifying patients according to the phase of cancer treatment (diagnosis, treatment, recurrence, and end-of-life palliative care) and the opioid-related side effects. ⋯ The WHO guidelines for cancer pain relief were effective in controlling pain in children and adolescents with cancer. Despite their low socioeconomic level, patients were able to quantify their pain using rating scales.
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Pediatric blood & cancer · Nov 2005
Human herpesvirus-6 and -7 in pediatric stem cell transplantation.
Human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) and -7 (HHV-7) may reactivate with immunosuppression and cause symptoms varying from subclinical to severe organ manifestations. The presence of HHV-6 and -7 and their possible association with clinical problems among pediatric recipients of stem cell grafts was studied in a single institution setting between November 1999 and December 2001. ⋯ HHV-6 and -7 seem to be common in blood both pre- and post-transplant among pediatric recipients of stem cell grafts. Prolonged reactivations appear to correlate with clinical symptoms such as fever, rash, and bone marrow suppression in the post-stem cell transplant setting (SCT), but severe complications are rare. Transient reactivations appear to be of very limited clinical significance.