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Right atrial catheters in pediatric oncology: a patient/parent questionnaire study
Insights
Pediatric oncology patients and parents favored venous access devices, like Mediport and Broviac catheters, for IV therapy and blood draws. Despite minor issues with daily care and access pain, these devices significantly improved tolerability by eliminating peripheral venipuncture.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Medical Devices
- Patient Care
Background:
- Venous access devices (VADs) are crucial for pediatric oncology patients requiring frequent blood sampling and intravenous therapy.
- VADs aim to improve treatment tolerability and reduce patient distress.
- Comparing specific VADs like Mediport and Broviac catheters is essential for optimizing patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the advantages and disadvantages of Mediport and Broviac catheters in pediatric oncology patients.
- To analyze patient and parent acceptance of these venous access devices.
- To evaluate the overall impact of VADs on treatment experience.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study was conducted between August 1985 and August 1987.
- The study involved pediatric oncology patients at The Children's Hospital, Denver, Colorado.
- Patient-parent acceptance questionnaires were employed to gather data.
Main Results:
- Both patients and parents reported a highly positive overall acceptance of the venous access devices.
- The primary drawbacks identified were daily care of the Broviac catheter and pain during Mediport access.
- These negative factors were considered minor when weighed against the benefit of avoiding peripheral venipuncture.
Conclusions:
- Venous access devices, including Mediport and Broviac catheters, are well-accepted by pediatric oncology patients and their families.
- The benefits of VADs in eliminating painful peripheral venipuncture outweigh the manageable challenges of daily care and access.
- These devices significantly enhance the tolerability of frequent medical procedures for children undergoing cancer treatment.
Abstract:
Venous access devices are an option offered to pediatric oncology patients to make their frequent blood sampling and intravenous therapy more tolerable. To determine the advantages and disadvantages of using these devices, a study comparing Mediport and Broviac catheters was conducted from August 1985 to August 1987 at The Children's Hospital, Denver, Colorado. This report will analyze results of the patient-parent acceptance questionnaire employed in that study. Overall, both the patients and their parents were very positive about the devices. Daily care of the Broviac and pain associated with accessing the Mediport were the only uniformly negative factors we encountered. These problems became unimportant when compared to the advantage of eliminating peripheral venipuncture.