A survey of antiemetic use in children with cancer.

Pediatric oncologists within Pediatric Oncology Group institutions were surveyed to determine current antiemetic practices for children receiving chemotherapy and the basis for those practices. A mean severity rating for associated nausea and vomiting was calculated and used to rank 31 chemotherapeutic agents commonly used in the treatment of childhood cancer. Antiemetics were used 17%, 79%, and 98% of the time for chemotherapeutic agents with mild, moderate, or severe associated nausea and vomiting, respectively. A median of one, two, and three antiemetics were used for mild, moderate, and severe agents, respectively. Antihistamines and phenothiazines were the drugs most commonly used for agents causing mild or moderate nausea and vomiting, and metoclopramide hydrochloride/antihistamines with lorazepam and/or corticosteroids were used most often for chemotherapeutic agents causing severe nausea and vomiting. Most oncologists based their choice of antiemetics on personal experience. Current literature addressing the treatment of nausea and vomiting in children receiving chemotherapy, as reviewed here, does not always support the present clinical practices.

Evaluation of a child's perceived self-competence during treatment for cancer.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of self-hypnosis on the perceived self-competence of children undergoing treatment for cancer and to determine longitudinal differences in perception of self-competence over time. Twenty-two children were randomized into an experimental group (taught self-hypnosis) and a control group (given standard care). Data were collected using the Harter Perceived Self-Competence Profile (HPSCP) during four courses of chemotherapy. A decrease in mean scores for the control group was found compared with the hypnosis group, which showed an increase in mean scores in five of six domains. Both groups showed a statistically significant increase in the scholastic cognitive domain and social acceptance domain from the time of diagnosis compared with the second test period. Ten children had a visible physical disability. These children were found to have significant decreases in the domains of athletic competence, social acceptance, and global self-worth. Decreases remained significant throughout all test periods in the athletic competence domain for the children with a visible physical disability. This study is unique in that the researchers evaluated children's perception of self-competence over time. These findings support previous studies and identify the need for nurses to become actively involved in helping children develop effective coping skills during chemotherapy for cancer.