Looking beyond the individual: How family demands and capabilities affect family adjustment following pediatric solid organ transplant

Neuropsychological and biopsychosocial evolution, therapeutic adherence and unmet care needs during paediatric transplantation: study protocol of a mixed-methods design (observational cohort study and focus groups) - the TransplantKIDS mental health project

The present article describes the protocol of a mixed-methods study (an observational cohort design and focus groups), aimed to examine neuropsychological functioning and other biopsychosocial outcomes, therapeutic adherence and unmet care needs in paediatric population undergoing solid organ or allogeneic hematopoietic transplant during the pre- and post-transplant phases. Following a multi-method/multi-source approach, neuropsychological domains will be comprehensively measured with objective tests (SDMT, K-CPT 2/CPT 3, TAVECI/TAVEC, WISC-V/WAIS-IV Vocabulary and Digit Span subtests, Verbal Fluency tests, Stroop, ROCF, and TONI-4); ecological executive functioning, affective and behavioral domains, pain intensity/interference, sleep quality and therapeutic adherence will be assessed through questionnaires (parent/legal guardians-reported: BRIEF-2 and BASC-3; and self-reported: BASC-3, BPI, PROMIS, AIQ and SMAQ); and blood levels of prescribed drugs will be taken from each patient's medical history. These outcomes will be measured at pre-transplant and at 4-weeks and 6-months post-transplant phases. The estimated sample size was 60 patients (any type of transplant, solid organ, or hematopoietic) from La Paz University Hospital (Madrid, Spain). Finally, three focus group sessions will be organized with patients, parents/guardians, and transplant clinicians (n = 15, with 5 participants per group), in order to qualitatively identify unmet care needs during the pre-, and post-transplant stages of the process. The study protocol was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05441436).

Balancing the Risks and Benefits of Pet Ownership in Pediatric Transplant Recipients

In recent decades, the number of pediatric transplantations and their survival rates have increased. Psychological problems and poorer quality of life are notable among children undergoing transplantation and can have long-lasting consequences and affect immunosuppressive therapy adherence. Pet ownership and animal contact have been associated with physical, mental, and social health benefits. Despite these potential benefits, however, companion animals are known to be a source of infection, which is one of the main concerns for clinicians. Because of immunosuppression, these children are particularly vulnerable to infections. Zoonoses comprise a long list of infectious diseases and represent a major public health problem. Nevertheless, many families and most healthcare providers are unaware of these potential risks, and there is a worrisome lack of recommendations to manage the risk-benefit balance, which could pose a risk for acquiring a zoonosis. Furthermore, no data are available on the number of transplanted patients with pets, and this risk-benefit balance is difficult to adequately evaluate. In this document, we review the currently available evidence regarding the epidemiology of zoonotic infections in patients undergoing transplantation, focusing on pediatric patients from a risk-benefit perspective, to help inform decision-making for clinicians. Families and healthcare professionals should be aware of the risks, and clinicians should actively screen for pets and offer comprehensive information as part of routine clinical practice. A multidisciplinary approach will ensure proper care of patients and pets and will establish preventive measures to ensure patients are safe living with their pets.

Pets for pediatric transplant recipients: To have or not to have

Pets have many health, emotional and social benefits for children, but the risk of zoonotic infections cannot be underestimated, especially for immunosuppressed patients. We report the recommendations given by health professionals working with pediatric transplant recipients to their families regarding pet ownership. An online survey addressing zoonosis knowledge and recommendations provided by health care practitioners regarding pets was distributed to clinicians treating pediatric transplant recipients. The European Society of Pediatric Infectious Disease (ESPID) and the European Reference Network ERN-TransplantChild, which works to improve the quality of life of transplanted children, allowed the online distribution of the survey. A total of 151 practitioners from 28 countries participated in the survey. Up to 29% of the respondents had treated at least one case of zoonosis. Overall, 58% of the respondents considered that the current available evidence regarding zoonotic risk for transplanted children of having a pet is too scarce. In addition, up to 23% of the surveyed professionals recognized to be unaware or outdated. Still, 27% of the respondents would advise against buying a pet. Practitioners already owning a pet less frequently advised patients against pet ownership, whereas non-pet-owners were more keen to advise against pet ownership (p = 0.058). 61% of the participants stated that there were no institutional recommendations regarding pets in their centers/units. However, 43% of them reported therapeutic initiatives that involved animals in their centers. Infectious disease specialists were more likely to identify zoonotic agents among a list of pathogens compared to other specialists (p < 0.05). We have observed a huge heterogeneity among the recommendations that health care providers offer to families in terms of risk related to pet ownership for transplant recipients. The lack of evidence regarding these recommendations results in practitioners' recommendations based on personal experience.

Parents' Experiences of Their Child's Solid-Organ Transplant: A Meta-Ethnography of Qualitative Studies

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this paper was to conduct a systematic review and meta-ethnography of qualitative studies examining the experiences of parents adjusting to life after the solid organ transplant (SOT) of their child.

METHODS

A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify qualitative studies that examined this topic. The search retrieved 4,964 studies to review against inclusion criteria. A total of 21 studies were included in the meta-ethnography. A reciprocal translation was conducted to compare themes identified in each study. A line of argument synthesis was then conducted in order to integrate the similarities and differences between all of the studies into a new interpretative context.

RESULTS

The synthesis identified four themes: (a) adjusting to life after transplant, (b) factors that facilitate adjustment, (c) factors that disrupt adjustment, and (d) changes caused by transplant. As a result of the synthesis, a new interpretation of parents' experiences of adjusting to life after the SOT of their child was constructed. A summary figure is presented.

CONCLUSION

This review found that while parents may struggle to adapt to life post-transplant and the demands of caring for their child, the experience can also result in the development of new skills, a new appreciation for life, and viewing the self in a more positive manner. A better understanding of parental experiences will promote the development of more effective interventions for the adjustment of parents and families to post-transplant life.

Psychological functioning and psychosocial issues in pediatric kidney transplant recipients

Research demonstrates that psychological factors are important for positive transplant outcomes, though there is little literature that synthesizes these factors in a comprehensive model among pediatric kidney transplant patients. This review analyzes psychological and psychosocial factors related to medical outcomes and overall well-being post-transplant by utilizing the PPPHM and referencing the existing literature on risk and resilience. Pediatric kidney transplant recipients are more susceptible to mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, and ADHD, as well as developmental and neurocognitive delays, compared to healthy peers. Complex medical care and psychosocial needs for patients have implications for family functioning, parental and sibling mental health, and youth readiness to transition to adult care. It is important to carefully monitor patient functioning with empirically validated tools and to intervene in a multidisciplinary setting as early as possible to identify patients at risk and reduce potential negative impact. Psychologists are uniquely trained to assess and address these issues and are a valuable component of multidisciplinary, culturally competent care. While research in this expansive field is improving, more data are needed to establish gold standard approaches to mental health and psychosocial care in this population.