End-of-Life transfusion support at hospice and pediatric oncology unit: Bridging the gap between benefits and therapeutic alliance.

OBJECTIVES: Although transfusion support is commonly used in oncological palliative care, there is still a paucity of literature. We examined the transfusion support provided in the terminal stage of the disease and compared the approach at a pediatric oncology unit and a pediatric hospice. CASE DESCRIPTION: This case series analyzed patients treated at the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano (INT)'s pediatric oncology unit who died between January 2018 and April 2022. We compared these with those who died at the VIDAS hospice and analyzed the number of complete blood counts taken in a patient's last 14 days of life, and the number of transfusions performed in the same period.We analyzed 44 patients (22 in pediatric oncology unit; 22 in hospice) in total. Twenty-eight complete blood counts were performed (7/22 patients at the hospice; 21/22 patients at the pediatric oncology unit). Nine patients were given transfusions, three at the hospice, six at our pediatric oncology unit (24 transfusions in total): 20 transfusions at the pediatric oncology unit, four at the hospice. In total 17/44 patients were given active therapies in the last 14 days of life: 13 at the pediatric oncology unit, four at the pediatric hospice. Ongoing cancer treatments did not correlate with a greater likelihood of receiving a transfusion (p=0.91). CONCLUSIONS: The hospice's approach was more conservative than the pediatric oncology one. In the in-hospital setting, the need for a transfusion cannot always be decided on by a combination of numerical values and parameters alone. The family's emotional-relational response must be considered too.

Procedural pain in children: education and management. The approach of an Italian pediatric pain center.

Pain management should be warranted for all children in every situation. Italian legislation proposes a model for pain assistance based on specialized tertiary centers which provide direct clinical management for complex cases and assure continuous cooperation with hospitals and family pediatricians for managing painful conditions every day. The Procedural Pain Service of the University of Padua Department of Pediatrics applies such model for procedural pain management. We describe activities of Service since January 1, 2006 on two levels: education and training for territorial services and sedation-analgesia when required for invasive and painful procedures. Since 2006 to date, the Service team produced an internal protocol for procedural sedation, developed two master courses, and organized a training program for procedural pain management in the territorial context. Procedural sedation-analgesia service provided overall 10,832 sedations to perform 14,264 procedures for 3,815 patients, median age of 6 years old. The most frequently performed procedures were lumbar puncture and bone marrow aspiration, followed by gastroscopy and bronchoscopy. Most frequently administered drug combinations were local analgesia + intravenous midazolam alone or midazolam and propofol or midazolam and propofol and ketamine; most frequently used non-pharmacological methods were distraction using cartoons and bubbles. Minor adverse events were recorded in 281 cases (2.5%), the most common being desaturation (2.1%). In conclusion, our model functions on two integrated levels, and it can be considered generally applicable as a solution for pain management.

Use of Zoledronic Acid in Paediatric Craniofacial Fibrous Dysplasia.

We describe a case of a paediatric patient affected by mandibular fibrous dysplasia (FD) with severe and chronic pain who was successfully treated with zoledronic acid (ZOL): a third-generation bisphosphonate. Further research is needed to assess its safety and efficacy as a treatment option for FD in the paediatric population.