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The need to support caregivers during pediatric bone marrow transplantation (BMT): A case report

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 January 2018

Christina Mangurian*
Affiliation:
University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, Calfornia
Wendy Packman
Affiliation:
Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, California
Nicholas S. Riano
Affiliation:
University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, Calfornia
Julia Kearney
Affiliation:
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York Weill Cornell College of Medicine, New York, New York
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Christina Mangurian UCSF/Zuckerberg San Francisco General, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Psychiatry, 1001 Potrero Ave, Suite 7M, San Francisco, CA 94110. E-mail: christina.mangurian@ucsf.edu.

Abstract

Objective:

Pediatric bone marrow transplants represent a medically stressful, potentially traumatic experience for children and caregivers, and psychological support for parental caregivers is paramount to their long-term well-being. However, many medical centers do not have protocols in place to sustain caregiver well-being during these distressing experiences.

Method:

We report on a case of a 10-month-old infant with Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome who was hospitalized for bone marrow transplantation.

Result:

We describe the significant burden that fell upon caregivers during and after a bone marrow transplantation.

Significance of results:

This case helped guide our suggestions to improve care for caregivers. Several logistical hurdles could be overcome to alleviate some of these burdens. We suggest that a child psychologist or psychiatrist should be on patient care teams and be attentive to parental stress, impairments, or impediments to self-care, and signs of emergency of mental illness in this setting of medical trauma. Additionally, promotion of sleep hygiene and linkage to support systems can maximize resiliency. Finally, we believe that hospital administrators should partner with clinicians to facilitate routine support during highly stressful transitions of care.

Type
Case Report
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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