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Safe transfer of pediatric patients from hematopoietic stem cell transplant unit into the pediatric intensive care unit: views of nurses and physicians

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 57, pages 734–741 (2022)Cite this article

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Abstract

Sufficient communication between hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) teams is pivotal for a successful advanced support in the PICU for HSCT-related complications. We evaluated perceived communication and barriers between both teams with the aim of providing recommendations for improvement. In this cross‐sectional survey, a self‐designed online questionnaire was distributed among ESPNIC and EBMT members. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Over half of HSCT respondents employed a transfer indication protocol and patient assessment tool, but less structured checklist prior to patient transfer. Nearly all PICU respondents perceived this checklist as improvement for communication. Most HSCT and PICU physicians have daily rounds upon patient transfer while this is mostly missing between nursing teams. Half of both HSCT and PICU nurses indicated that HSCT training for PICU nurses could improve communication and patient transfer. Most respondents indicated that structured meetings between HSCT and PICU nurses could improve communication. Overall there is good communication between HSCT and PICU units, although barriers were noted between members of both teams. Based on our findings, we recommend use of a structured and specific checklist by HSCT teams, HSCT training for PICU personnel, and structured meetings between HSCT and PICU nurses.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the many questionnaire respondents who provided data for this survey and to the ESPNIC colleagues for their collaboration. We highly appreciate the support of Christina Peters to this work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, The Edmond and Lily Safra Children’s Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, 52621, Israel

    Daphna Hutt

  2. Paediatric Transplant Unit, Hospital University and Polytechnic Hospital LA FE, Valencia, Spain

    Eugenia Trigoso Arjona

  3. Willem-Alexander Children’s Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Hilda Mekelenkamp

  4. EBMT Statistical Unit, Paris, France

    Jacques-Emmanuel Galimard

  5. EBMT Leiden Data Unit, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Anne Kozijn

  6. New Children’s Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

    Teija Schröder

  7. Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Rome, Italy

    Marjola Gjergji

  8. EBMT Paris Data Unit, Paris, France

    Arnaud Dalissier

  9. IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy

    Sarah J. Liptrott

  10. Christie Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom

    John Murray

  11. Department of Haematology, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

    Michelle Kenyon

  12. Department of Pediatric Intensive Care, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    J. P. J. van Gestel

  13. Department of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany

    Selim Corbacioglu

  14. Center for Child Health, Dept. of Oncology, Immunology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany

    Peter Bader

  15. Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Rome, Italy

    Marjola Gjergji

  16. Department of Hematology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Corien Eeltink

  17. Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, The Edmond and Lily Safra Children’s Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, 52561, Israel

    Daphna Hutt

  18. The Edmond and Lily Safra Children’s Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, 52561, Israel

    Daphna Hutt

  19. Department of Haematology, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

    Michelle Kenyon

  20. IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy

    Sarah J. Liptrott

  21. Willem-Alexander Children’s Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Hilda Mekelenkamp

  22. Christie Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom

    John Murray

  23. New Children’s Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

    Teija Schröder

  24. The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK & University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

    Jacqui Stringer

  25. Paediatric Transplant Unit, Hospital University and Polytechnic Hospital LA FE, Valencia, Spain

    Eugenia Trigoso Arjona

  26. Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Abdulah Al Jefri

  27. Center for Child Health, Dept. of Oncology, Immunology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany

    Peter Bader

  28. Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

    Alice Bertaina

  29. Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway

    Buchner Jochen

  30. Department of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany

    Selim Corbacioglu

  31. EBMT Paris Data Unit, Paris, The Netherlands

    Arnaud Dalissier

  32. EBMT Statistical Unit, Paris, France

    Jacques-Emmanuel Galimard

  33. Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow, United Kingdom

    Brenda Gibson

  34. Universitäts-Kinderspital, Zurich, Switzerland

    Tayfun Güngor

  35. Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Marianne Ifversen

  36. Division of Pediatric Stem Cell Therapy, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, Duesseldorf, Germany

    Roland Meisel

  37. Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Centre Hamburg Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany

    Ingo Muller

  38. St. Anna Children’s Hospital, Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    Christina Peters

  39. Children’s Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Kim Vettenranta

  40. Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK

    Paul Veys

  41. Department of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland

    Jacek Wachowiak

  42. University Hospital Frankfurt/Main, Goethe University, Department for Children and Adolescents, Division for Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunology, Frankfurt/Main, Germany

    Andre Willasch

Authors
  1. Daphna Hutt
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  2. Eugenia Trigoso Arjona
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  5. Anne Kozijn
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  6. Teija Schröder
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  7. Marjola Gjergji
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  8. Arnaud Dalissier
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  9. Sarah J. Liptrott
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  10. John Murray
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  11. Michelle Kenyon
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  12. J. P. J. van Gestel
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  13. Selim Corbacioglu
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  14. Peter Bader
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Consortia

The Nurses Group of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT)

  • Marjola Gjergji
  • , Corien Eeltink
  • , Daphna Hutt
  • , Michelle Kenyon
  • , Sarah J. Liptrott
  • , Hilda Mekelenkamp
  • , John Murray
  • , Teija Schröder
  • , Jacqui Stringer
  •  & Eugenia Trigoso Arjona

The Pediatric Diseases Working Party (PDWP) of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT)

  • Abdulah Al Jefri
  • , Peter Bader
  • , Alice Bertaina
  • , Buchner Jochen
  • , Selim Corbacioglu
  • , Arnaud Dalissier
  • , Jacques-Emmanuel Galimard
  • , Brenda Gibson
  • , Tayfun Güngor
  • , Marianne Ifversen
  • , Roland Meisel
  • , Ingo Muller
  • , Christina Peters
  • , Kim Vettenranta
  • , Paul Veys
  • , Jacek Wachowiak
  •  & Andre Willasch

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daphna Hutt.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Hutt, D., Arjona, E.T., Mekelenkamp, H. et al. Safe transfer of pediatric patients from hematopoietic stem cell transplant unit into the pediatric intensive care unit: views of nurses and physicians. Bone Marrow Transplant 57, 734–741 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41409-021-01559-5

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