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Background: Oral mucositis is a significant and common toxicity experienced by patients who receive high-dose chemotherapy as a preparatory regimen for a hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT). Photobiomodulation (PBM) has been found to be feasible with significant efficacy in preventing the progression of oral mucositis in adult patients undergoing HCT. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility and efficacy of PBM in pediatric oncology patients undergoing HCT. Method: Forty children and adolescents admitted to the transplant unit for an allogeneic HCT for acute lymphoblastic leukemia or acute myeloid leukemia were treated daily at six sites until day + 20 or engraftment. Results: There were 1,035 patient encounters, with successful treatment of four or more sites during 979 patient encounters for a feasibility 93.3% CI [0.926, 0.039]. We had estimated a meaningful effect size of 20% for PBM and estimated 51% of patients treated with PBM would have at least one day or more of Grade 3 mucositis. The rate of patients who received PBM and developed Grade 3 mucositis was 20% CI [0.091, 0.356]. Patients treated with PBM had fewer days of hospitalization (p =.009) and less severe mucositis in comparison to the matched control group (p =.03). Conclusion: PBM is feasible and effective in preventing and treating oral mucositis and is now supported by the Children's Oncology Group for prevention and treatment of oral mucositis in patients undergoing an allogeneic HCT or receiving head/neck radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: To develop an evidence-based compassion fatigue program and evaluate its impact on nurse-reported burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction, as well as correlated factors of resilience and coping behaviors. SAMPLE & SETTING: The quality improvement pilot program was conducted with 59 nurses on a 20-bed subspecialty pediatric oncology unit at the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. METHODS & VARIABLES: Validated measures of compassion fatigue and satisfaction (Professional Quality of Life Scale V [ProQOLV]), coping (Brief COPE), and resilience (Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-2) were evaluated preprogram and at two, four, and six months postprogram, with resilience and coping style measured at baseline and at six months postprogram. RESULTS: Secondary traumatic stress scores significantly improved from baseline to four months. Select coping characteristics were significantly correlated with ProQOLV subscale scores. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Ongoing organizational support and intervention can reduce compassion fatigue and foster compassion satisfaction among pediatric oncology nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]