Pediatric Transplantation

The findings of this study demonstrate that post-transplant rejection, infections, perceived medication necessity, and overall happiness significantly influence medication adherence among adolescent kidney transplant recipients. It is therefore recommended to introduce an early warning intervention system during home follow-ups, specifically designed to enhance medication adherence by addressing these critical factors.

We review design elements that help to improve engagement (in a particularly hard-to-engage cohort) and reduce attrition, discuss the tailoring paradigm that uses biomarker readings to modify aspects of the manual-driven protocol, and present considerations for designing remote interventions that engage patients across state lines.

Sibling (ages 12–17 years) of kidney and liver transplant recipients affirm that the transplant event is distressing and impacts their relationships and family functioning both in the moment and for years after the transplant. Transplant team members can support siblings through healthcare interactions and a family-inclusive model of care.

This is the first national study to assess post-HTx educational priorities among adolescent HTx recipients, caregivers of pediatric HTx recipients, and pediatric HTx clinicians. Our data suggest that HTx recipients and caregivers place higher value on educational topics regarding daily life after transplant compared to clinicians.

This study highlights holistic self-care interventions for pediatric liver transplant recipients, integrating developmental norms with therapy demands. It illustrates specific interventions during two crucial periods: early childhood and adolescence, within a life course perspective.

Organ transplant coordinators face numerous challenges, such as consent-obtaining obstacles, exposure to violence, compassion fatigue, obsessive thoughts, social disruption, and hard work in shadow. The pressure from these challenges can result in job burnout and turnover, leading to additional costs for healthcare systems and ultimately reducing the organ donation rate.

Post-traumatic stress symptoms are highly prevalent in the pediatric solid organ transplant population, as measured by the Child Trauma Screening Questionnaire. Risk factors for post-traumatic stress include recent ICU days, the number of medications, and involvement with the foster care system, whereas higher family functioning appears to be protective.

Presented here is a structured approach to healthcare transition for adolescent and young adult SOT recipients aimed at optimizing independence in order to assist young patients with adherence, self-management, and improved quality of life. These efforts require a multidisciplinary team approach as well as collaboration between pediatric and adult providers.

Based on caregiver interviews, two key findings were identified. First, caregivers emphasized the significantly elevated anxiety that they and their family members experienced during the COVID-19 health emergency concerning a myriad of issues. Second, resilience characteristics and processes were evident in how caregivers negotiated pandemic-related challenges.