Ultrasound-guidance of peripheral venous catheterization in apheresis minimizes the need for central venous catheters.

INTRODUCTION: Central venous catheters (CVC) can facilitate a reliable blood flow for apheresis procedures, but the placement is time-consuming and costly and the incidence of catheter-related complications is high. Ultrasound can aid nurses to insert peripheral venous catheters (PVC), which is safer for the patients. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We evaluated the use of CVC vs PVC for all apheresis procedures 3 years after the implementation of structured training of apheresis nurses to perform ultrasound-guided PVC. Ultrasound can visualize the needle tip and target vessel dynamically and guide peripheral venous catheterization with an increased success rate. Time consumption for PVC insertion was measured. RESULTS: In 10 months, we performed 1294 apheresis procedures on 227 patients, where 97.4% were performed with PVC. Hundred percent of extracorporeal photophoresis (off-line ECP) and peripheral blood stem cell collections on adults were performed with PVC. Patients who were treated with CVC (n = 8) were either children, had poor peripheral blood flow due to dehydration or admitted to an intensive care unit and had CVC for other reasons. Time consumption for PVC placement with ultrasound was 11 minutes on average. CONCLUSION: Training of apheresis nurses in ultrasound-guided peripheral venous catheterization can enable close to 100% of apheresis procedures to be performed by PVC.

Competencias de la enfermera de práctica avanzada de hematología en la terapia CAR-T / Competencies of the Hematology Advanced Nurse Practitioner in CAR-T therapy

La terapia celular CAR-T es una inmunoterapia personalizada de última generación. Se basa en la modificación genética de linfocitos T autólogos del paciente para expresar un antígeno quimérico que identifique a las células cancerosas y las destruya. El rápido progreso de nuevos tratamientos de inmunoterapia ha generado una oportunidad a las enfermeras para que aporten su experiencia y sus competencias para liderar y facilitar la coordinación, educación y continuidad de cuidados a los pacientes beneficiarios de estas terapias. La enfermera de práctica avanzada de hematología en terapia CAR-T (EPACAR-T) es esencial para garantizar la continuidad de cuidados y la seguridad en la atención a pacientes tratados con CAR-T. En el presente trabajo se describen las competencias de la EPACAR-T basadas en el marco conceptual de Hamric y se determinan sus funciones en las diferentes etapas del proceso (acogida y valoración, leucoaféresis, producción celular y terapia puente, tratamiento linfodeplectivo, infusión de linfocitos T modificados, seguimiento y vigilancia activa), con el objetivo principal de ofrecer un plan de cuidados centrados en la persona y coordinar la atención, colaboración y comunicación entre centros remitentes y proveedores y conseguir su manejo exitoso

The CAR T-cell therapy is a personalized last-generation immunotherapy. It consists in the genetic modification of the patient's autologous T-lymphocytes in order to express a chimeric antigen that will identify cancer cells and destroy them. The fast progress of new immunotherapy treatments has created an opportunity for nurses to provide their experience and skills to lead and ensure coordination, education, and continuity of care for patients who will benefit of said therapies. The Hematology Advanced Nurse Practitioner in CAR-T therapy is essential to ensure continuity and safety of care for patients treated with CAR-T. The present article describes the competencies of the Hematology Advanced Nurse Practitioner in CAR-T therapy based on the conceptual framework by Hamric, and determines their role in the different stages of the process (reception and assessment, leukapheresis, cell production and bridge therapy, lymphodepletion treatment, infusion of modified T-lymphocytes, follow-up and active monitoring), with the main objective to offer a plan of care focused on the patient, and coordinate the care, collaboration and communication between referring centers and providers, and achieve a successful management

Enfermería en los procederes de aféresis / Nursing in apheresis procedures

El trabajo de enfermería se basa en la aplicación de la metodología para la implementación de los cuidados que realiza. El intercambio directo con el donante o paciente permite identificar sus necesidades y facilita planear, controlar, ejecutar y evaluar las actividades que se realizan en la práctica diaria. Con el paso de los años, la profesión de enfermería ha ganado terreno en diferentes áreas de la medicina y su acción ha llegado a esferas que se creía eran exclusivas de otros profesionales del sector de la salud, como la medicina transfusional y la trasplantologia. Dentro del área de la medicina transfusional la labor de la enfermera es fundamental, ya que puede intervenir en diferentes fases del proceso de la donación de sangre, realizar procedimientos de aféresis, transfundir componentes sanguíneos y atender las reacciones adversas del donante o el paciente. Una pequeña revisión sobre los cuidados de enfermería en el área de aféresis es el objetivo fundamental de este trabajo(AU)

Nursing is based on the application of the methodology for the implementation of the care performed. The direct exchange with the donor or patient identifies his needs and facilitates the planning, control, performance and evaluation activities in daily practice. Over the years the nursing profession has gained ground in different areas of medicine and its action has reached areas that were believed to be unique to other health professionals, such as transfusion medicine and transplantology. Within the area of transfusion medicine the nurse role is essential as it may intervene at different stages of blood donation, apheresis procedures transfusion of blood components and care for adverse donor or patient reactions. A brief review of nursing care in the field of apheresis is the main objective of this paper(AU)

Stress, burnout, and job satisfaction in 470 health professionals in 98 apheresis units in Italy: A SIdEM collaborative study.

AIMS: In Italian and international background, there are no studies focusing on stress, burnout indicators, and job satisfaction in health professionals working in the apheresis units. This study aims to fill this void both for scientific and clinical reasons. METHODS: The participants were 470 health professionals (220 physicians, 250 nurses), mostly female (73.4%), with an average age of 48.09 (with the 5° percentile under 32 years and the 95° percentile over 60), working in the Apheresis Units in the North (228), in the Center (131) and in the Southern-islands of Italy (111). The health professionals' years on the job were principally between one and 10 years (40.2%) or from 11 to 20 years (33.2%). The prevalent activity was therapeutic apheresis (48.5%). The self-report questionnaires were proposed electronically by a protected online site. RESULTS: Important stress levels were identified in the health professionals. Physicians principally showed medium (47.5%) and high (35.8%) stress levels. Stress levels of nurses were mostly low (57.7%) or medium (25.7%). Female gender in nurses [t(268) = -3.29; P = 0.001] and in physician professions [t(217) = -3.01; P = 0.03] was a risk factor for stress. Both job categories were placed at a high risk level for burnout syndrome comparing with normative scales, especially the health professionals working in the center of Italy for the scales "Emotional exhaustion" [F(2) = 4.39; P = 0.013] and "Professional inefficacy" [F(2) = 4.38; P = 0.013]. CONCLUSIONS: Health professionals working in the apheresis unit show high stress levels and burnout risk. New preventive programs and specific clinical interventions should be constructed.

Calculations in apheresis.

It's important to work smoothly with your apheresis equipment when you are an apheresis nurse. Attention should be paid to your donor/patient and the product you're collecting. It gives additional value to your work when you are able to calculate the efficiency of your procedures. You must be capable to obtain an optimal product without putting your donor/patient at risk. Not only the total blood volume (TBV) of the donor/patient plays an important role, but also specific blood values influence the apheresis procedure. Therefore, not all donors/patients should be addressed in the same way. Calculation of TBV, extracorporeal volume, and total plasma volume is needed. Many issues determine your procedure time. By knowing the collection efficiency (CE) of your apheresis machine, you can calculate the number of blood volumes to be processed to obtain specific results. You can calculate whether you need one procedure to obtain specific results or more. It's not always needed to process 3× the TBV. In this way, it can be avoided that the donor/patient is needless long connected to the apheresis device. By calculating the CE of each device, you can also compare the various devices for quality control reasons, but also nurses/operators.

Apheresis training for nurses and physicians around the World.

A training program for apheresis nurses in leukocyte collection and therapeutic apheresis was developed by the Joint Task Force for Apheresis Education and Certification. This is a modular program with theoretical and practical information and knowledge. On request of the Indonesian authorities, in the capital of Indonesia Jakarta, a certification course for apheresis nurses/operators based on the training program described above was organized in December 2013. The course existed of themes related to apheresis, such as hematology, anatomy, physiology, calculations, adverse events, basics of apheresis, nursing aspects, quality, collection of cells for cellular therapies, pediatrics, and therapeutic collections (cell reductions and exchange procedures). A pretest and post-test regarding the knowledge and judgment in the themes described was taken in Bahasa Indonesia or in English. In total, 38 apheresis nurses and 32 physicians participated in the course. In the post-test, the nurses scored in a mean 72/100 and the physicians 77/100 (nurses vs. physicians: P = 0.005), which was significantly better than the results of the pretest (54/100 and 53/100, respectively (P < 0.0001 for both). In conclusion, with this course, 38 apheresis nurses/operators proved a significant increase of knowledge in the theory behind apheresis. This educational program provides an approach to educate and certificate apheresis nurses. It is also shown that also for physicians working in the field of apheresis, this course is of use increasing their knowledge regarding apheresis.

The spin on apheresis.

Find out about the many types and applications of this blood component-separating therapy.

Nursing care of the blood cell transplant recipient.

OBJECTIVES: To review the complications of blood cell transplantation (BCT) and their clinical and nursing management. DATA SOURCES: Review articles, research studies, book chapters pertaining to the complications of peripheral stem cell transplantation and the management of these complications. CONCLUSIONS: As the number of patients receiving BCT increases, complications related to stem cell mobilization, harvesting, dose-intensive conditioning therapy, infusion, and engraftment are being documented with increasing accuracy. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Oncology nurses will be caring for an increasing population of patients undergoing BCT. Although complications of both bone marrow transplantation and BCT are similar there are unique differences. Support and nursing interventions are of utmost importance for BCT patients and their family caregivers.

Blood products replacements processed in the surgical field.

This article summarizes the main blood products that can be gathered from, treated, and returned to the trauma patient in the operating room. A brief description of the physiology of blood and clotting mechanisms is given. A focus on plasma pheresis is provided, as well as a suggested procedure for plasma collection.

Therapeutic apheresis.

1. Patients cared for by intensive care, medical and neurological nurses may require therapeutic apheresis. 2. Apheresis involves the separation of blood into its component parts and the removal of one of these. 3. Therapeutic apheresis is an invasive technique which may have serious complications for the patient and pose an infection risk to the nurse. 4. Nurses must make this daunting procedure as problem-free and comfortable for their patients as possible.