The Effect of Gastrointestinal Mucositis Care Training Given to Pediatric Leukemic Patients and Caregivers on Mucosal Barrier Injury.

BACKGROUND: Management of chemotherapy-induced mucosal barrier damage and oral/anal mucositis in leukemia is challenging. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of mucositis care training given to children receiving leukemia treatment and their caregivers on caregiver knowledge and skills, the development of gastrointestinal mucositis in children, the mean oral mucositis area in children, and the mucosal barrier injury laboratory-confirmed bloodstream infection in the clinic. METHODS: A stepped-wedge, quasi-experimental, unpaired control group design was used. The participants in the control group were given routine training, and the intervention group members were given mucositis care training in accordance with the guideline recommendations. RESULTS: No significant difference was found between groups in developing anal mucositis, but a significant difference in developing oral mucositis was documented, with the mean mucositis area of children being 8.36 ± 3.97 cm2 in the control group and 4.66 ± 2.90 cm2 in the intervention group. The mucosal barrier injury laboratory-confirmed bloodstream infection ratio was 4 per 1000 catheter days in the control group and 3 per 1000 catheter days in the intervention group. CONCLUSION: Mucositis care training had a significant positive effect on caregivers' knowledge and skills, the development of oral mucositis, and the mean oral mucositis area in children. However, the training had no effect on the development of anal mucositis or the infection rate in the clinic. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Nurses might increase the knowledge and skill levels of caregivers with training on mucositis care, prevent the development of mucositis, and reduce the mean mucositis area. Training might also contribute to the reduction in the infection rate of the clinic.

Prediction of chemotherapy-related complications in pediatric oncology patients: artificial intelligence and machine learning implementations.

Although the overall incidence of pediatric oncological diseases tends to increase over the years, it is among the rare diseases of the pediatric population. The diagnosis, treatment, and healthcare management of this group of diseases are important. Prevention of treatment-related complications is vital for patients, particularly in the pediatric population. Nowadays, the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies in the management of oncological diseases is becoming increasingly important. With the advancement of software technologies, improvements have been made in the early diagnosis of risk groups in oncological diseases, in radiology, pathology, and imaging technologies, in cancer staging and management. In addition, these technologies can be used to predict the outcome in chemotherapy treatment of oncological diseases. In this context, this study identifies artificial intelligence and machine learning methods used in the prediction of complications due to chemotherapeutic agents used in childhood cancer treatment. For this purpose, the concepts of artificial intelligence and machine learning are explained in this review. A general framework for the use of machine learning in healthcare and pediatric oncology has been drawn and examples of studies conducted on this topic in pediatric oncology have been given. IMPACT: Artificial intelligence and machine learning are advanced tools that can be used to predict chemotherapy-related complications. Algorithms can assist clinicians' decision-making processes in the management of complications. Although studies are using these methods, there is a need to increase the number of studies on artificial intelligence applications in pediatric clinics.

Development of the Caregiving Burden Scale for Family Caregivers of Children with Cancer.

Due to the burden of caregiving, family caregivers of children with cancer suffer from physical and psychosocial health problems. The aim of this study was to develop a Caregiving Burden Scale for Family Caregivers of Children with Cancer (CBSFC-CC) and to assess its psychometric properties. A methodological, descriptive study design was conducted. The study sample consisted of 217 family caregivers caring for children with cancer between the ages of 0 and 18 years. The item pool of the scale was created using the Delphi Technique. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the overall scale was 0.93. The item-total score correlations ranged from 0.424 to 0.645. The exploratory factor analysis showed that the scale explained 68.34% of the total variance. The confirmatory factor analysis also showed that the factor loadings of the scale ranged from 0.46 to 0.96. NNFI, CFI, and IFI were found to be > 0.90, and RMSEA was found to be < 0.09. The CBSFC-CC was found to be a good multidimensional instrument for evaluating the burden on family caregivers of pediatric cancer patients. It can be used in clinical practice and research. This tool can be considered to tailor interventions aimed at improving caregiver outcomes.

Academic dishonesty among health science school students.

BACKGROUND: Academic dishonesty has become a serious problem at institutions of higher learning. RESEARCH QUESTION: What is the frequency of academic dishonesty and what factors affect the tendency of dishonesty among Turkish health science school students? RESEARCH DESIGN: This descriptive and cross-sectional study aims to evaluate academic dishonesty among university nursing, midwifery, and dietetic students. Participants and research context: The study sample consisted of 499 health science students in Turkey. The tendency toward academic dishonesty was investigated using the Academic Dishonesty Tendency Scale. Ethical considerations: Institutional review board approved the study. Written permission was obtained from the researcher to use Turkish version of the Academic Dishonesty Tendency Scale. FINDINGS: Of all the students, 80.0% claimed to refer to Internet during homework preparation and 49.1% of students reported to cite the references at the end of article on some instances. Of the students, 56.1% claimed never to have cheated in the exams. It was found that academic dishonesty was partly low (1.80-2.59) in students. For students using a library while doing their homework, mean scores were significantly lower ( p < 0.05). There were also statistically significant difference between mean scores and student's year in school, student's perception of school success, and frequency of Internet use while doing homework ( p < 0.05). DISCUSSION: The tendency of academic dishonesty was lower among students who use Internet and library more frequently. These findings are consistent with previous studies. CONCLUSION: Measurements to take against academic dishonesty should be directed toward not only students but institutions and instructors as well.

Complementary and alternative medicine used by pediatric patients with cancer in western Turkey.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To determine the extent of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use, the types of therapies employed, and the reasons for choosing those therapies. DESIGN: Descriptive type, cross-sectional. SETTING: Pediatric oncology department in western Turkey. SAMPLE: 112 children receiving or completing treatment for cancer. METHODS: Parents of 112 children completed a questionnaire regarding CAM use. Analyses included examining correlations between CAM use and demographic variables. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: CAM use and demographic variables. FINDINGS: 77% of the patients used one or more type of CAM, with herb use being the most common. CONCLUSIONS: About 75% of parents used CAM for their children. However, about 25% sought discussion with the physician about the CAM they were using. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Nurses should approach their patients without prejudice, gather information about the various CAM techniques, and share this knowledge with their patients.