Preoperative Mental Health Has a Stronger Association with Baseline Self-Assessed Knee Scores than Defect Morphology in Patients Undergoing Cartilage Repair.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess potential correlations between the mental component summary of the Short Form-12 (SF-12 MCS), patient characteristics or lesion morphology, and preoperative self-assessed pain and function scores in patients undergoing autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI). DESIGN: A total of 290 patients underwent ACI for symptomatic cartilage lesions in the knee. One hundred and seventy-eight patients were included in this study as they completed preoperative SF-12, Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), Tegner, Lysholm, and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) scores. Age, sex, smoker status, body mass index, Worker's Compensation, previous surgeries, concomitant surgeries, number of defects, lesion location in the patella, and total defect size were recorded for each patient. Pearson's correlation and multivariate regression models were used to distinguish associations between these factors and preoperative knee scores. RESULTS: The SF-12 MCS showed the strongest bivariate correlation with all KOOS subgroups (P < 0.001) (except KOOS Symptom; P = 0.557), Tegner (P = 0.005), Lysholm (P < 0.001), and IKDC scores (P < 0.001). In the multivariate regression models, the SF-12 MCS showed the strongest association with all KOOS subgroups (P < 0.001) (except KOOS Symptom; P = 0.91), Lysholm (P = 0.001), Tegner (P = 0.017), and IKDC (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In patients with symptomatic cartilage defects of the knee, preoperative patient mental health has a strong association with self-assessed pain and functional knee scores. Further studies are needed to determine if preoperative mental health management can improve preoperative symptoms and postoperative outcomes.

Symptom Trajectories of Adolescents During Hematopoietic Stem Cell Recovery.

BACKGROUND: Adolescents undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) experience multiple symptoms during and after the transplant. These symptoms can increase the need for medical care and reduce the quality of their life. However, little is known about symptom experiences specific to adolescents undergoing HSCT. OBJECTIVE: The primary aim was to describe symptom incidence, severity, and distress trajectories among adolescents from pre-HSCT through 90 days post-HSCT. A secondary aim was to examine the relationship between symptom trajectories and demographic and treatment factors. METHODS: A repeated-measures design was used for this prospective study. Demographic and treatment information was collected from the medical record. Symptoms were assessed with the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale 10-18. Symptom trajectories were identified by latent class growth analysis with growth mixture modeling; logistic regression evaluated relationships of demographic and treatment characteristics on the latent classes of symptom trajectories. RESULTS: Two distinct latent class trajectories were identified for symptom incidence, severity, and distress. Symptom incidence declined, but symptom severity and distress remained stable. No significant relationships were noted among any demographic or treatment characteristics to any of the symptom trajectories. CONCLUSIONS: Symptoms persist and remain severe and distressing throughout the first 90 days after HSCT, with pain and lack of energy among the highest in incidence, severity, and distress. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Awareness of symptom trajectories empowers nurses to assess for symptoms throughout the HSCT process and conduct meaningful symptom discussions with their patients.

Espiritualidade e religiosidade em mães de crianças com câncer hematológico / Spirituality and religiosity in mothers of children with hematologic cancer / Espiritualidad y religiosidad en madres de niños con cáncer hematológico

Espiritualidade e religiosidade constituem fontes significativas de suporte emocional e social para familiares de crianças gravemente doentes, sobretudo no caso de doenças potencialmente terminais. O transplante de células-tronco hematopoiéticas (TCTH) é um dos tratamentos mais arrojados e promissores que surgiram nas últimas décadas para doenças onco-hematológicas. Trata-se de procedimento altamente invasivo e que envolve risco de morte em decorrência de seus efeitos adversos. Por isso, exige o envolvimento intenso de um cuidador familiar durante todas as suas etapas, o que expõe esse membro da família a estressores contínuos. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar o sentido atribuído à espiritualidade e religiosidade por mães de crianças com câncer hematológico submetidas ao transplante de células-tronco hematopoéticas.Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, de delineamento descritivo-exploratório, com fundamentação fenomenológica. Foram entrevistadas dez mães. As entrevistas individuais foram audio gravadas e, posteriormente, transcritas e submetidas à análise compreensiva dos relatos. Espiritualidade e religiosidade emergiram nas falas das participantes, coloridas pelas diferentes crenças religiosas professadas, como fonte de apoio e alento para a cuidadora familiar, auxiliando-a a suportar as adversidades inerentes à situação de ser acompanhante de paciente submetido a procedimento de alto risco. Os resultados corroboram a importância da religiosidade e da espiritualidade como recursos de enfrentamento.

Spirituality and religiosity are important sources of emotional and social support for families of severely ill children, specially when it comes to potentially terminal illnesses. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is one of the most daring and promising alternatives that have emerged in the last decades to treat onco-hematological diseases. It is a highly invasive procedure and involves risk of death due to its adverse effects, therefore, it requires close involvement of a family caregiver during allof its stages, which exposes this family member to continuous stressors. The goal of this study was to investigate the meaning attributed to spirituality and religiosity by mothers of hematologic cancer patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. This is a qualitative research, with a descriptive-exploratory design and a phenomenological fundamentation. Ten mothers whose children had undergone hematopoietic stem cell tranplantation were interviewed. Individual interviews were audio-taped and later transcribed and subjected to the comprehensive analysis of the reports. Spirituality and religiosity emerged from the speeches of the participants colored by different professed religious beliefs as a source of support and encouragement for familycaregivers, helping them to deal with the adverse situation of being companion of a patient undergoing a high-risk procedure. Results corroborated that spirituality and religiosity are important coping resources.

Espiritualidad y religiosidad constituyen una importante fuente de apoyo emocional y social para las familias de niños gravemente enfermos, especialmente en lo que se refiere a enfermedades potencialmente terminales. El trasplante de células madre hematopoyéticas es uno de los tratamientos más audaces y más prometedores que han surgido en las últimas décadas para enfermedades onco-hematológicas. Es un procedimiento altamente invasivo que implica riesgo de muerte debido a sus efectos adversos. Por lo tanto, se requiere la participación activa de un cuidador familiar durante todas sus fases, lo que expone a este miembro de la familia a continuos factores de estrés. El objetivo de este estudio fue investigar el significado dado a la espiritualidad y la religiosidad de las madres de niños con cáncer hematológico sometidos a trasplante de células madre hematopoyéticas. Se trata de un estudio cualitativo, con diseño descriptivo y exploratorio y fundamentación fenomenológica. Se entrevistaron a diez madres. Las entrevistas individuales fueron grabadas en audio y posteriormente transcritas y sometidas a análisis comprehensiva de los informes. La espiritualidad y la religiosidad surgieron en los discursos de las participantes, coloreado por las diferentes creencias religiosas profesas como fuente de apoyo y aliento a las madres cuidadoras, lo que ayuda a soportar las dificultades inherentes a la situación de ser compañera de un paciente sometido a un procedimiento de alto riesgo. Los resultados confirman la importancia de la espiritualidad y la religiosidad como recurso de afrontamiento

Consent: a Cartesian ideal? Human neural transplantation in Parkinson's disease.

The grafting of human embryonic cells in Parkinson's disease is an innovative and hopefully useful therapeutic approach. However, it still concerns a very small number of patients and is only suggested as a research protocol. We present here a study of the problems of information and consent to research within the framework of this disease in which the efficacy of medical treatment is shortlived. The only French center to use this treatment (Hôpital H. Mondor in Créteil) has received authorization from the Comité Consultatif National d'Ethique (Consultative National Committee on Ethics). Eleven patients were treated between 1991 and 1998. The study of the results of a questionnaire sent to those patients showed the difficulties met in evaluating the perception of information despite intact intellectual capacities in people "prepared to risk everything." In France, the duty to inform patients during research procedures is regulated by the Huriet Act. However, it is not easy to guarantee genuine consent when preliminary information is given to patients psychologically impaired by the slow and ineluctable course of their disease. In these borderline cases, a valid consent seems to be a myth in terms of pure autonomy when considered with the Cartesian aim of elimination of uncertainty. The relevance of this concept of genuine consent probably makes more sense as aiming at a Cartesian ideal which is perhaps more in the spirit rather than in the letter. It is in that same spirit that, from the outset, we propose to define t he practical ways of answering the patients' request for information, even sometimes after consent has been given.

Xenotransplantation public perceptions: rather cells than organs.

The aim of this study was to describe some of the factors that might play a role in influencing attitude to xenotransplantation: first, the consideration of receiving cells and tissue from xenotransplants in relation to whole xeno-organs; secondly, the fact that there is greater uncertainty regarding the result and risk of infection associated with xenotransplantation than with allotransplantation. We also describe the attitude to research on xenotransplantation, and the relationship between the attitude to receiving a xenotransplant and an allotransplant. Finally, we describe the attitude to xenotransplantation in relation to treatment for renal failure and waiting-time for allotransplantation. A questionnaire was sent to randomly selected members of the public aged 18 to 75 (n=1,000) and to all patients in the same age range who were waiting for kidney transplants in Sweden in the spring of 1998 (n=460). The response rate was 60% among the public and 87% among the patients. Both study groups were positive to a greater extent in their attitude to receiving cells and tissue than to receiving a whole organ such as a kidney. The response 'rather positive' to receiving organs was generally favored by the public, whereas the most generally favored response to receiving cells and tissue was 'very positive'. When there was suggested to be a greater uncertainty regarding the outcome with xenotransplantation compared with allotransplantation, the number of negative and uncertain respondents increased, both among the public and the patients. Eighty percent of the public and about 90% of the patients were in favor of continued research on xenotransplantation. Of those members of the public who responded, the attitude to receiving an organ from a human was positive in 86% of cases, with an emphasis on 'very positive'. There was a moderate relation between the attitude to receiving an organ from a human and to receiving a xenotransplant. Among the patients, there was no systematic or strong relation between the attitude to xenotransplantation and the kind of dialysis treatment they were on. Neither was there any systematic or strong relation to the waiting-time. The overall impression is that the attitude to xenotransplantation seems to be most influenced by whether the xenotransplant would involve whole organs or cells and uncertainty regarding the outcome.