Radiotherapy in paediatric practice
Article Abstract:
Fewer children than adults are treated each year with radiation therapy. The radiotherapist must consider the child's potential for growth, development, reproduction, and duration of life. Tumors resulting from radiation treatment rarely develop sooner than 10 years following treatment, and the risk of radiation-induced tumors increases with age. Radiotherapy is effective against most childhood cancers, but its use is limited because of its possible adverse effects in the long term. Although the dose of radiation is similar for both adults and children, the amount of radiation given to children is distributed in smaller and more frequent portions than the dose given to adults, in order to reduce the potential for long-term radiation-related damage. The differences in body size between adults and children may cause difficulties in administering radiation treatment and must also be taken into consideration. Various aspects of radiation treatment of children are discussed, including methods to prepare a child for radiation therapy, management of vomiting associated with radiation of the abdomen or total body, the role of radiation in treating various types of cancer, and use of radiation for palliative treatment of pain. The radiotherapist must work together with other health professionals involved in the care of the pediatric patient, such as pediatricians, pediatric surgeons, and pediatric pathologists, to be able to provide the most effective treatment of cancer. Radiation treatment of children should be carried out by health professionals who are familiar with standard procedures used in the management of childhood cancer. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Archives of Disease in Childhood
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0003-9888
Year: 1991
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Major problems with paediatric bed usage statistics?
Article Abstract:
The effective use of health care resources is often measured by the number of hospital beds used (occupancy rate). However, there are specific limitations imposed by applying such measures to the hospital care of children. Generally, children under 16 years of age are not admitted to adult wards. Most pediatric hospitalizations are acute, nonelective admissions to medical, surgical, and orthopedic wards for children. Many pediatric cases receive the attention of specialists. The occupancy of pediatric beds should be low enough to accommodate peak use, but high enough to ensure optimal use of resources. It was estimated that an occupancy rate of 75 percent would be sufficient to allow for flexibility in acute care cases. However, this figure does not take into account mentally handicapped children, special care baby cots, or children with infectious diseases. The pediatric occupancy rate was analyzed in a district general hospital; using the Department of Heath guidelines on health services information, the data were interpreted five different ways. The various measures were based on the same admissions and included bed occupancy rates, throughput figures (discharges per bed), and turnover intervals (period during which a bed was empty). The bed occupancy rate was estimated to range from 73 to 106 percent; throughput figures, from 23.8 to 34.7 percent; and turnover interval, from -0.17 to 1.1 days. These findings demonstrate that a standard method of analysis of hospital bed use is needed before the efficiency and cost of pediatric health care between hospitals and districts can be compared. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Archives of Disease in Childhood
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0003-9888
Year: 1991
User Contributions:
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