Cancer chemotherapy administered via hemodialysis fistulas

End-stage renal failure (ESRF) patients can develop cancer before or after kidney disease occurs. Cancer chemotherapy often needs to be administered via the sort of central venous catheter that is normally avoided in ESRF care. Three cases are presented in which ESRF patients received chemotherapy for cancer via existing hemodialysis fistulas, and the consequences of central venous access in a fourth patient are discussed.     

Staff reports of setting events associated with challenging behavior

This study sought to identify the setting events reported by care staff as more and less likely to be associated with the challenging behaviors of people with intellectual disabilities. Sixty-five staff working with 22 individuals were interviewed using an inventory of putative setting events. Findings were collated to allow identification of those events reported to be associated with increased and decreased likelihood of challenging behavior. Some events were reported as strongly associated with the occurrence of challenging behavior, some as strongly associated with its absence, some as largely "inert," and many as idiosyncratically associated with occurrence, absence, or inertness. Different categories of setting events contributed different relative amounts to reported variation in challenging behavior. The use of the inventory described here, or modified versions, may be a useful way of identifying relationships between setting events and challenging behaviors, which suggest ways in which routine service provision might be modified to help prevent challenging behavior.     

The biology and management of subglottic hemangioma: past, present, future

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Objectives were 1) to review the presentation, natural history, and management of subglottic hemangioma; 2) to assess the affect of five variables (age, gender, degree of subglottic narrowing, location and extent of subglottic hemangioma, and lack or presence of other hemangioma) and the outcome of six different treatment modalities (conservative monitoring, corticosteroid, laser surgery, tracheotomy, laryngotracheoplasty, and interferon) in the management of subglottic hemangioma; and 3) to present specific guidelines to help determine the best possible treatment modality at the time of initial presentation. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review in the setting of three tertiary care pediatric medical centers. METHODS: Methods included 1) extensive review of the literature; 2) a systematic review with respect to age, gender, presentation, associated medical problems, location and degree of subglottic narrowing, initial treatment, need for subsequent treatments, outcome, complications, and prognosis; and 3) statistical analysis to determine the effect of five variables (age, gender, degree of subglottic narrowing, location and extent of subglottic hemangioma, and lack or presence of other hemangioma) and the outcome of six different treatment modalities (conservative monitoring, corticosteroid, laser surgery, tracheotomy, laryngotracheoplasty, and interferon). RESULTS: In all, 116 patients with a mean age of 4.7 months were treated. The most common location of subglottic hemangioma was the left side. The range of subglottic narrowing was 10% to 99% (mean percentage, 65%). Twenty-six patients (22%) were managed with a single treatment modality, which included conservative monitoring (n = 13), corticosteroid (n = 11), and tracheotomy (n = 2). Ninety patients (78%) required multimodality treatments. Overall, the treatments included conservative monitoring (n = 13), corticosteroid (n = 100), tracheotomy (n = 32), CO2 laser (n = 66), interferon (n = 5), and laryngotracheoplasty (n = 25). Complication rates included the following: conservative monitoring (none), corticosteroid (18%), tracheotomy (none), CO2 laser (12%), interferon (20%), and laryngotracheoplasty (20%). The following variables showed statistical significance in the outcome of different treatment modality: 1) degree of subglottic narrowing (P < .001), 2) location of subglottic hemangioma (P < .01), and 3) presence of hemangioma in other areas (P < .005). Gender (P > .05) and age at the time of presentation (P > .06) did not show any statistical significance on the outcome of the treatments. CONCLUSION: Each patient should be assessed comprehensively, and treatment should be individualized based on symptoms, clinical findings, and experience of the surgeon. The authors presented treatment guidelines in an attempt to rationalize the management of subglottic hemangioma and to help determine the best possible treatment modality at the time of initial presentation.