Pain and discomfort in children with gastrostomy tubes – In the context of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 2023

Background: In children with malignant and severe non-malignant disorders undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), treatment related pain and discomfort are common. Food consumption may become troublesome, making the use of a gastrostomy tube (G-tube) necessary and resulting in complications, why the purpose was to explore pain and discomfort during the transplantation and post-transplantation time. Methods: This was a mixed methods study where data were collected along the child's total health-care process between 2018 and 2021. Questions with fixed answer options were used, simultaneously, semi-structured interviews were performed. In total, sixteen families participated. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used to describe analysed data. Findings: Intense pain was common during the post-surgery phase, especially in conjunction with G-tube care, which is why the children needed support to manage the situation. After the post-surgery phase when the skin has healed, most of the children experienced minor to no pain or bodily discomfort, why the G-tube became a well-functioning and supportive tool in daily life. Conclusions: This study describes variations in and experiences of pain and bodily discomfort in conjunction with G-tube insertion in a unique sample of children who had undergone HSCT. In conclusion, the children's comfort in daily life after the post-surgery phase seemed to be only marginally affected by G-tube insertion. Children with severe non-malignant disorders seemed to experience a higher frequency and intensity of pain and bodily discomfort due to the G-tube than children with malignant disorders. Practice implications: The paediatric care team need competence in assessing G-tube related pain and awareness that experiences may differ depending on the child's disorder.

Children

Nursing

Nutrition

Stem cell transplantation

Gastrostomy

Författare

Ulrika Mårtensson

Göteborgs universitet

Stefan Nilsson

Sahlgrenska universitetssjukhuset

Göteborgs universitet

Margaretha Jenholt Nolbris

Sahlgrenska universitetssjukhuset

Göteborgs universitet

Helle Wijk

Göteborgs universitet

Chalmers, Arkitektur och samhällsbyggnadsteknik, Byggnadsdesign

Karin Mellgren

Göteborgs universitet

Journal of Pediatric Nursing

0882-5963 (ISSN) 1532-8449 (eISSN)

Vol. 70 79-89

Ämneskategorier

Pediatrik

Övrig annan medicin och hälsovetenskap

Omvårdnad

DOI

10.1016/j.pedn.2023.02.005

PubMed

36848740

Mer information

Senast uppdaterat

2023-03-13