Browsing by Author "Runco, Daniel"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Constipation and GI diagnoses in children with solid tumours: prevalence and management
    (BMJ, 2022-08-30) Belsky, Jennifer; Stanek, Joseph; Yeager, Nicholas; Runco, Daniel; Pediatrics, School of Medicine
    Objectives Despite continued development of targeted therapies for children with cancer, patients continue to experience an array of unwanted side effects. Children with solid tumours may experience constipation as a result of vinca alkaloid therapy, psychological stressors, periods of inactivity and opioid use. Our objective was to investigate the prevalence and treatment of constipation in hospitalised children with solid tumours treated with chemotherapy. Methods We retrospectively analysed data from 48 children’s hospitals in the Pediatric Health Information System, extracting patients 0–21 years of age with a solid tumour diagnosis hospitalised from October 2015 through December 2019. Results We identified 13 375 unique patients with a solid tumour diagnosis receiving chemotherapy. Constipation was the most common gastrointestinal complaint with 8658 (64.7%; 95% Cl: 63.9% to 65.5%) having a constipation diagnosis or having received at least two laxatives during admission. Bone cancers had the highest percentage (69.9%) of patients with constipation, while Hodgkin’s lymphoma had the lowest, although 52.1% of patients were affected. A total of 44% (n=35 301) of encounters received an opioid at some point during admission. Of patients receiving constipation medications, the most commonly prescribed was polyethyl glycol (n=25 175, 31.7%), followed by docusate (n=11 297, 14.2%), senna (n=10 325, 13.0%) and lactulose (n=5501, 6.9%). Conclusions Constipation is the most common gastrointestinal issue that children with solid tumours experience while receiving chemotherapy in the inpatient setting. Increased attention should be given to constipation prophylaxis and treatment in children with solid tumours undergoing chemotherapy, particularly those identified as high risk.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Prospective External Validation of the Esbenshade Vanderbilt Models Accurately Predicts Bloodstream Infection Risk in Febrile Non-Neutropenic Children With Cancer
    (American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2024) Zhao, Zhiguo; Patel, Pratik A.; Slatnick, Leonora; Sitthi-Amorn, Anna; Bielamowicz, Kevin J.; Nunez, Farranaz A.; Walsh, Alexandria M.; Hess, Jennifer; Rossoff, Jenna; Elgarten, Caitlin; Myers, Regina; Saab, Raya; Basbous, Maya; Mccormick, Meghan; Aftandilian, Catherine; Richards, Rebecca; Nessle, C. Nathan; Tribble, Alison C.; Sheth Bhutada, Jessica K.; Coven, Scott L.; Runco, Daniel; Wilkes, Jennifer; Gurunathan, Arun; Guinipero, Terri; Belsky, Jennifer A.; Lee, Karen; Wong, Victor; Malhotra, Megha; Armstrong, Amy; Jerkins, Lauren P.; Cross, Shane J.; Fisher, Lyndsay; Stein, Madison T.; Wu, Natalie L.; Yi, Troy; Orgel, Etan; Haeusler, Gabrielle M.; Wolf, Joshua; Demedis, Jenna M.; Miller, Tamara P.; Esbenshade, Adam J.; Pediatrics, School of Medicine
    Purpose: The optimal management of fever without severe neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count [ANC] ≥500/µL) in pediatric patients with cancer is undefined. The previously proposed Esbenshade Vanderbilt (EsVan) models accurately predict bacterial bloodstream infections (BSIs) in this population and provide risk stratification to aid management, but have lacked prospective external validation. Materials and methods: Episodes of fever with a central venous catheter and ANC ≥500/µL occurring in pediatric patients with cancer were prospectively collected from 18 academic medical centers. Variables included in the EsVan models and 7-day clinical outcomes were collected. Five versions of the EsVan models were applied to the data with calculation of C-statistics for both overall BSI rate and high-risk organism BSI (gram-negative and Staphylococcus aureus BSI), as well as model calibration. Results: In 2,565 evaluable episodes, the BSI rate was 4.7% (N = 120). Complications for the whole cohort were rare, with 1.1% (N = 27) needing intensive care unit (ICU) care by 7 days, and the all-cause mortality rate was 0.2% (N = 5), with only one potential infection-related death. C-statistics ranged from 0.775 to 0.789 for predicting overall BSI, with improved accuracy in predicting high-risk organism BSI (C-statistic 0.800-0.819). Initial empiric antibiotics were withheld in 14.9% of episodes, with no deaths or ICU admissions attributable to not receiving empiric antibiotics. Conclusion: The EsVan models, especially EsVan2b, perform very well prospectively across multiple academic medical centers and accurately stratify risk of BSI in episodes of non-neutropenic fever in pediatric patients with cancer. Implementation of routine screening with risk-stratified management for non-neutropenic fever in pediatric patients with cancer could safely reduce unnecessary antibiotic use.