Outcome of indwelling tunneled PleurX® catheter placement in pediatric and young adult patients with malignant effusions.

Malignant effusions may cause significant morbidity and mortality for cancer patients. Indwelling tunneled PleurX® catheter placement for intermittent drainage of malignant effusions has been shown to be efficacious in adults but has not been studied in children. We performed a retrospective review of nine children and young adults who underwent PleurX® catheter placement for the palliation of symptoms associated with malignant effusions. Eight of nine demonstrated symptomatic improvement and seven of nine were discharged from the hospital after catheter placement. No patients experienced catheter-associated complications. PleurX® catheter placement should be considered for palliation of symptoms due to malignant effusions in pediatric oncology patients.

Interactive Palliative and End-of-Life Care Modules for Pediatric Residents.

Background. There is a need for increased palliative care training during pediatric residency. Objective. In this pilot study, we created a comprehensive experiential model to teach palliative care skills to pediatric residents. Our Comfort Care Modules (CCMs) address pediatric palliative care (PPC) topics of breaking bad news, dyspnea, anxiety, pain management, and the dying child. We also evaluated a scoring system and gathered qualitative data. Methods. The CCMs are part of the University of California San Diego pediatric residency's second-year curriculum. Comparisons were made for statistical trends between residents exposed to the modules (n = 15) and those not exposed (n = 4). Results. Nineteen of 36 residents (52%) completed surveys to self-rate their preparedness, knowledge, and confidence about PPC before and after the intervention. Resident scores increased in all areas. All improvements reached statistical significance except confidence when breaking bad news. Overall, the resident feedback about the CCMs was positive. Conclusions. This study demonstrates that the CCMs can be performed effectively in an academic setting and can benefit residents' self-perception of preparedness, confidence, and knowledge about pediatric palliative care. In the future, we plan to implement the modules on a larger scale. We encourage their use in interprofessional settings and across institutions.

Palliative ventriculoperitoneal shunt in a pediatric patient with recurrent metastatic medulloblastoma.

The authors present a case report of a pediatric patient with recurrent metastatic medulloblastoma who demonstrated significant clinical improvement after placement of a palliative ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt. They also review the medical literature that supports palliative surgical management of hydrocephalus and intracranial hypertension (ICH) caused by leptomeningeal (LM) spread of malignancy. The burdens and benefits of an invasive surgical procedure must always be weighed carefully, especially at end-of-life. Yet for some patients with LM spread and ICH, VP shunting may improve their quality of life, although their prognosis remains poor.