Applications of motivational interviewing in adolescent solid organ transplant.

BACKGROUND: Adolescence is a developmental period that is known for the highest risk of difficulties with adoption and maintenance of health behaviors for successful transplant. Motivational interviewing (MI) has been demonstrated to be an effective strategy in the management of modifiable factors impacting adherence in both adult transplant and analogous pediatric chronic illness populations. AIMS: This paper describes MI and its applicability to adolescent transplant, providing examples of its potential use at each stage of the transplant journey. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Literature on the principles and utilization of MI are reviewed, as well as the use of MI in adult transplant and similar pediatric populations. RESULTS: Evidence suggests high applicability of concepts of MI to pediatric transplant. DISCUSSION: Systems-level factors influencing health behavior change are discussed, along with the importance of recognizing and managing provider bias in MI-based interactions. MI does not require a licensed behavioral health provider to use it effectively; rather, it can be used by various multidisciplinary team members throughout the course of clinical care. CONCLUSION: MI shows great promise as a useful intervention through all stages in the transplant journey. Though particularly well-suited to adolescents, its principles are effective across the lifespan, including with caregivers. It represents an interactional style for use by multidisciplinary team members in many patient-and caregiver-facing scenarios. As the goal is to support the patient's autonomy in decision-making, it is important for providers to recognize their own biases. Further resources for training are provided.

Predicting psychosocial risk in pediatric kidney transplantation: An exploratory cluster analysis of a revised Pediatric Transplant Rating Instrument.

BACKGROUND: The Pediatric Transplant Rating Instrument (P-TRI) is a 17-item scale developed to assess psychosocial risk factors for poor outcomes after solid organ transplantation. Research has identified the limitations of the original instrument and proposed revisions to improve clinical utility. This project examined patterns of risk in children being evaluated for kidney transplant using a revised P-TRI. METHODS: A multidisciplinary kidney transplant team revised the P-TRI. A social worker and a psychologist collaboratively completed the modified instrument for 37 children after the psychosocial pretransplant evaluation. Electronic medical records were reviewed for transplant status (transplanted, active waitlist, inactive) 1 year later. Exploratory cluster analyses and chi-square tests examined patterns of risk and correlates with cluster membership. RESULTS: Three clusters were identified. The high-risk group (29.7%) had difficulties with medication and appointment adherence, strained relationships with the medical team, and the presence of parent psychiatric history. The medium-risk group (35.1%) had difficulties with parent knowledge, financial strain, and risk factors for medication nonadherence. The low-risk group (35.1%) demonstrated no difficulties with adherence or financial strain. Clusters were prospectively associated with transplant status, such that those in the high-risk group were less likely to be transplanted within 1 year post-evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: The revised P-TRI demonstrated good construct validity as risk level appeared to be associated with transplant listing status 1 year post-evaluation. These results suggest that standardized pretransplant psychosocial risk assessment tools may have value in optimizing transplant access if they can be paired with targeted, multidisciplinary interventions to address concerns early in the transplant process.

International Pediatric Transplant Association (IPTA) position statement supporting prioritizing pediatric recipients for deceased donor organ allocation.

A position statement of the International Pediatric Transplant Association endorsing prioritizing pediatric recipients for deceased donor organ allocation, examining the key ethical arguments that serve as the foundation for that position, and making specific policy recommendations to support prioritizing pediatric recipients for deceased donor organ allocation globally.

5-Year Activity and Participation Outcomes of the First Successful Pediatric Bilateral Hand Transplantation: A Case Report.

AIMS: Describe the 5-year outcomes of the first successful pediatric bilateral hand transplantation. METHODS: The child underwent quadrimembral amputation at age two and received bilateral hand allografts at age eight. Rehabilitation included biomechanical, neurorehabilitation, and occupational approaches in acute and outpatient settings. Therapist observed outcomes, patient-reported measures, and parent-reported measures were repeated over a 5-year period. RESULTS: Observation assessments revealed functional dexterity skills and modified independence to full independence with self-care activities. The parent reported the child had moderate difficulty with upper extremity functioning 25-, 41-, and 48-months post-transplantation, and mild difficulty at 60-months; the child reported no difficulties in this domain at 41 months. Five years post-transplantation the child reported enjoying many age-appropriate activities, and high-quality peer relations were endorsed by both parent and child. CONCLUSION: The child developed hand movements for daily activities and was completing daily activities with improved efficiency. Health-related quality of life outcomes were favorable.

An empirically based practice perspective on the transition to adulthood for solid organ transplant recipients.

Preparing patients for transitioning to self-managed care and subsequently transferring to the adult healthcare system has become a critical process for clinicians working with pediatric transplant recipients. This paper reviews several barriers to a successful transition. These include patient barriers, caregiver barriers, and considerations within pediatric and adult centers. To date, few approaches for improving the transition process have been empirically tested. This review details studies that have examined possible models including usage of a transition coordinator and transition clinics. Recommendations are offered to promote an optimal transition including the importance and content of preparation, assessing and addressing transition readiness, insuring the involvement of all stakeholders, and finally, at minimum providing services during the transfer period. Future directions are offered aiming to advance this important area of investigation.

Adolescent age and heart transplantation outcomes in myocarditis or congenital heart disease.

BACKGROUND: Adolescents often fare poorly after heart transplantation. However, whether the effect of age varies according to the etiology of heart failure is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that age-related heart transplantation outcomes are different in patients with myocarditis and congenital heart disease (CHD). METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the United Network of Organ Sharing database was performed for patients with myocarditis (n = 709) and CHD (n = 1,631) undergoing heart transplantation from 1987 to 2011. The effect of age on graft survival was assessed. Age was categorized as children (6-12 years), adolescents (13-18 years), younger adults (19-30 years), and older adults (31-50 years). RESULTS: For myocarditis, the median graft survival for adolescents was 6.9 years (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.6-9.6), which was significantly lower than other age groups (children: 14.1 [95% CI, 9.8-10.9] years, p = 0.004; younger adults: 11.8 [95% CI, 8.3-15.2] years, p = 0.172; older adults: 12.0 years [95% CI, 10.0-14.3 years], p = 0.033). For CHD, the median graft survival for adolescents was 7.4 years (95% CI, 6.8-8.6), which was not significantly different from other age groups (children: 9.0 [95% CI, 7.9-11.0] years, p = 0.737; younger adults: 11.2 [95% CI, 8.6-13.3] years, p = 0.744; older adults: 11.6 [95% CI, 9.2-15.3] years, p = 0.608). Multivariable analysis showed adolescent age was independently associated with worse graft survival for patients with myocarditis but not for CHD. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents with myocarditis have significantly worse graft survival after heart transplantation, but adolescents with CHD have similar outcomes to other patients with CHD. Further study is needed to improve outcomes in this vulnerable population.

Child and family adjustment following pediatric solid organ transplantation: factors to consider during the early years post-transplant.

Adjusting to life after transplant can be challenging to pediatric solid organ transplant recipients and their families. In this review, we discuss a number of important factors to consider during the first 2-3 yr after transplant (defined as the "early years"), including transitioning from hospital to home, returning to physical activity, feeding and nutrition, school reentry, potential cognitive effects of transplant, family functioning, and QOL. We highlight steps that providers can take to optimize child and family adjustment during this period.

Best practices in the pediatric pretransplant psychosocial evaluation.

Assessment of psychosocial functioning is an often-included component of the pretransplant evaluation process. This study reviews several domains of assessment that have been related to post-transplant outcomes across solid organ transplant populations. These include evaluation of patient and family past adherence, knowledge about the transplantation process, and their neurocognitive, psychological, and family functioning. To date, few comprehensive pretransplant evaluation measures have been standardized for use with children; however, several assessment measures used to evaluate the aforementioned domains are reviewed throughout the study. Additionally, this article discusses some developmental, illness-specific, and cultural considerations in conducting the psychosocial evaluation. We also discuss ethical issues specific to the pediatric psychosocial evaluation. Recommendations are advanced to promote a comprehensive evaluation that identifies family strengths and risk factors as they begin the transplant journey.

Prevalence and correlates of posttraumatic stress and postpartum depression in parents of infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and correlates of acute stress disorder (ASD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in mothers and fathers, and postpartum depression (PPD) in mothers, of infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). 86 mothers and 41 fathers completed measures of ASD and of parent perception of infant medical severity 3-5 days after the infant's NICU admission (T1), and measures of PTSD and PPD 30 days later (T2). 35% of mothers and 24% of fathers met ASD diagnostic criteria at T1, and 15% of mothers and 8% of fathers met PTSD diagnostic criteria at T2. PTSD symptom severity was correlated with concurrent stressors and family history of anxiety and depression. Rates of ASD/PTSD in parents of hospitalized infants are consistent with rates in other acute illness and injury populations, suggesting relevance of traumatic stress in characterizing parent experience during and after the NICU.