Challenges of palliative care in children with inborn metabolic diseases
decision making; gastrointestinal tract; palliative therapy; major clinical study; retrospective study; preschool child; cohort analysis; home visit; patient referral; human; article; child; female; male; controlled study; adult; gastrointestinal symptom; attention; young adult; resuscitation; advance care planning; neurologic disease; metabolic disorder
Background: Our objective was to evaluate children with metabolic diseases in paediatric palliative home care (PPC) and the process of decision-making. This study was conducted as single-centre retrospective cohort study of patients in the care of a large specialized PPC team. Results: Between 01/2013 and 09/2016, 198 children, adolescents and young adults were in the care of our PPC team. Twenty-nine (14.6%) of these patients had metabolic conditions. Median age at referral was 2.6 years (0-24), median duration of care 352 days (3-2248) and median number of home visits 13 (1-80). Most patients are still alive (16; 55.2%). Median number of drugs administered was 5 (range 0-12), antiepileptics were given most frequently. Symptom burden was high in all children with metabolic disorders at referral and remained high throughout care. Predominant symptoms were gastrointestinal, respiratory and neurologic symptoms. Children with metabolic conditions, who were referred to PPC younger than 1 year of age had a shorter period of care and died earlier compared to those children, who were referred to PPC later in their lives (older than 10 years of age). Eleven (37.9%) of the children initially had no resuscitation restrictions and 7 (53.8%) of those who died, did so on ICU. Conclusions: About 15% of children with life-limiting conditions in PPC present with metabolic diseases. Symptom burden is high with neurologic, respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms being the most frequent and most of those being difficult to treat. In these children, particular attention needs to be addressed to advance care planning.Copyright � 2018 The Author(s).
Hoell JI; Warfsmann J; Distelmaier F; Borkhardt A; Janssen G; Kuhlen M
Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases
2018
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1186/s13023-018-0868-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1186/s13023-018-0868-5</a>
Palliative Care For Children With A Yet Undiagnosed Syndrome
Children; End-of-life Care; Palliative Care; Undiagnosed Syndrome
The number of children without a diagnosis in pediatric palliative home care and the process of decision-making in these children are widely unknown. The study was conducted as single-center retrospective cohort study. Between January 2013 and September 2016, 198 children and young adults were cared for; 27 (13.6%) of these were without a clear diagnosis at the start of pediatric palliative home care. A definite diagnosis was ultimately achieved in three children. Median age was 7 years (0-25), duration of care 569 days (2-2638), and number of home visits 7.5 (2-46). Most patients are still alive (19; 70.4%). Median number of drugs administered was eight (range 2-19); antiepileptics were given most frequently. Despite the lack of a clear diagnosis (and thus prognosis), 13 (48.1%) parents faced with their critically ill and clinically deteriorating children decided in favor of a DNAR order. Comparing this with 15 brain-injured children, signs, symptoms, and supportive needs were similar in both groups. CONCLUSION: Children without a clear diagnosis are relatively common in pediatric palliative care and have-like all other patients-the right to receive optimized and symptom-adapted palliative care. Parents are less likely to choose treatment limitation for children who lack a definitive diagnosis. What is Known: * A clear diagnosis is usually considered important for best-practice pediatric palliative care (PPC) including advanced care planning (ACP). * Timely initiation of pediatric palliative care (PPC) is highly recommended in children with life-limiting conditions. What is New: * SWAN (syndrome without a name) children show similar signs and symptoms (mostly neurological) and have similar supportive needs as brain-injured children. * Defining treatment limitations in advance care planning is more difficult for parents of SWAN compared to brain-injured children.
Hoell J I; Warfsmann J; Gagnon G; Trocan L; Balzer S; Oommen P T; Borkhardt A; Jansen G; Kuhlen M
European Journal Of Pediatrics
2017
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10.1007/s00431-017-2991-z