The Journal of pediatrics
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The Journal of pediatrics · Nov 1996
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialPatient-controlled analgesia for mucositis pain in children: a three-period crossover study comparing morphine and hydromorphone.
(1) To test the safety and efficacy of a clinical protocol for administering opioid by using patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) for the management of mucositis pain in children after bone marrow transplantation, (2) to compare the efficacy, side-effect profile, and potency ratio of morphine with those of hydromorphone by using PCA as the method of opioid administration, and (3) to obtain pharmacokinetic data on hydromorphone and morphine in this population of children. ⋯ The safety and efficacy of a clinical protocol for the administration of opioids by means of PCA for mucositis pain after bone marrow transplantation was demonstrated. In this small study, hydromorphone was not superior to morphine in terms of analgesia or the side-effect profile: a larger study would be needed to show a difference. The clearances of hydromorphone and morphine in the children studied were generally greater than those previously recorded, but this finding may be related to disease or treatment variables. Apart from clearance, the morphine pharmacokinetics in the study population were similar to those previously recorded. Hydromorphone may be less potent in this population of children than indicated by adult equipotency tables.
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The Journal of pediatrics · Nov 1996
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialRecombinant human erythropoietin reduces the need for erythrocyte and platelet transfusions in pediatric patients with sarcoma: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
To evaluate the effect of recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) and iron supplementation on transfusion requirements in pediatric patients with sarcoma who were receiving chemotherapy, we performed a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial. ⋯ Treatment with EPO and iron significantly reduces PRBC transfusions in pediatric patients receiving concomitant chemotherapy for malignant sarcomas. A decrease in the number of platelet transfusions was also seen and deserves further study.
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The Journal of pediatrics · Nov 1996
Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialTopical application of lidocaine-prilocaine (EMLA) cream reduces the pain of intramuscular infiltration of saline solution.
Intramuscular injections may be painful. Some of this pain may be caused by the infiltration of medication into the muscle, separate from the pain of skin puncture. We hypothesized that topical application of lidocaine/prilocaine (EMLA) cream would reduce the pain of intramuscular infiltration. ⋯ Our results suggest that further clinical studies of EMLA cream for modifying perceived pain from intramuscular injection in children are warranted.
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The Journal of pediatrics · Nov 1996
Multicenter StudyForegoing intensive care treatment in newborn infants with extremely poor prognoses. A study in four neonatal intensive care units in The Netherlands.
Within the framework of the broader ethical discussion on end-of-life decision making in neonatology and the need to obtain more quantifiable data, we performed a multicenter study in four Dutch neonatal intensive care units. All infants who died in these units in 1993 were included in the study. Aside from cases in which foregoing treatment was not under discussion, cases in which death appeared inevitable (A cases) and cases in which foregoing treatment because of extremely poor prognosis was the decisive factor (B cases) were distinguished. ⋯ In a large majority of B cases, the decisions to forego treatment were based on the presence of severe cerebral damage. In A cases there was no real choice because death appeared inevitable. However, in B cases neonatologists were obliged to determine whether continuation of treatment was justifiable or if withdrawal of treatment in view of extremely poor prognoses was preferred.
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The Journal of pediatrics · Nov 1996
Editorial Comment ReviewEnd-of-life decisions in Dutch neonatal intensive care units.